Ragnarok
by Skeptikitten
Summary: AU.  A serial killer emerges in Japan, basing his murders on Norse Mythology. NPA star-detective Light Yagami and the World's Greatest Detective L are both targets, and the case may lead to the end of the world for both of them.  L/Light, Matt/Mello
1. Prologue From Hlidskialf

_Author's Note:_

_Well, after a major career change, two (count'em, two) computer deaths, and a surprise pregnancy, I finally have some time to write again. Even if I won't be able to reach the keyboard in a couple of months due to the amazon I'm apparently carrying around. _

_This piece will be a novella based loosely on Norse Mythology, an old passion of mine, and its apocalyptic battle Ragnarok. Possible warnings for this fiction in the future include violence, sexual situations, homosexuality, language, gore, and disturbing imagery. Unlike my other story, Ragnarok will be completely AU, set in a universe where there are no Death Notes or Shinigami; Light, though still the same basic personality type, will have gone down the path Ohba-sensei indicated and become a rising star in the NPA. This will also, despite the above warnings, be a little more light-hearted than my other works and a bit more ridiculous at that. This is an interpretation of how I believe Light and L's characters would have developed if left to brood in their isolation for a few more years, and L always did have an element of the absurd to him. _

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did._

**Prologue: From Hlidskialf**

_January, 2010 _

Far above the realm of ordinary mortals, he watched. Humanity at its worst spread before him every day; he saw their greed, their lust, their violence in excruciating detail when those few who strove for good failed in their task and called out to him in supplication. From his throne, he alone never failed to redress those wrongs and bring the guilty to swift chastisement.

He was the great detective L, and he was Justice.

He was also horribly, offensively bored. There was no case that L could not solve, no criminal he could not outwit. The secretive "Detective Wars" in which he had won his two most famous alter-aliases had provided only momentary diversion. His childhood nemesis, Beyond Birthday, had barely been a speed bump to L's dominance in the world of criminal investigation. Interpol danced to his tune, and governments gladly gave over every resource imaginable once he was contracted for a case. Even his successors, brilliant though they were, could only challenge him when all three worked in concert. L had, at the age of 31, begun to give up on the hope of finding anyone to rival him in all the world.

That thought was far too depressing for a Monday, he decided. Sugar would certainly be required to redress such bleak thoughts. Preferably in copious amounts.

"Watari?"

A subtle rustle from the main suite of the penthouse reassured L that his retainer and long-time backer was listening.

"Yes, L?" the soft voice questioned, faint disapproval apparent in the mellow baritone. "You can't possibly have solved the Coventry Murders yet, as you received the case file only twenty minutes ago".

L frowned in the blue light of his computer screens, thumb automatically drifting to his lips. Quillish had the unfortunate habit of admonishing L like a child when they were alone, shifting his role from public liaison to frustrated parent with remarkable swiftness. Though, L knew he had been extraordinarily difficult in his demands of late; his ennui was beginning to affect his work to an unacceptable degree.

"I was simply thinking that I would enjoy some sweets before developing my strategy on such a convoluted case" L replied. He paused, nibbling on his fingernail thoughtfully. "Something...syrupy, perhaps. Oh! Watari, can we get dango?"

Watari sighed heavily, folding his newspaper and dropping it onto the glass coffee table with a resigned air.

"Dango, L? We are, might I remind you, in _Amsterdam_, not Tokyo or London or New York. Japanese restaurants are not in abundance here, particularly those that would carry sweets of that nature".

"But..." L began petulantly, aware that whining was probably beneath him. Damn it, now that he had thought about dango, nothing else would do! Come to think of it, how long had it been since he was even in Japan? "Watari, how long..."

"Nearly two years" Watari cut in, comfortingly aware of his charge's thoughts. "Twenty-one months, to be exact".

L's frown deepened, and he spun his chair around, no mean feat with one's feet to their chest. Twenty-one months? Granted, Japan had a very low crime rate, but the longest the NPA had ever gone without calling him was fifteen months; that had only been shortly after he became active, nearly sixteen years earlier.

"Why have I not been tapped? Surely higher-level criminals have not simply fled Tokyo altogether? As a matter of fact, I recall that the yakuza had actually been gaining strength when last we took a case in Kanto" L mused. "Watari, do you-"

A thick manilla folder was thrust before his eyes, seemingly from nowhere. Really, L thought, Quillish's disarming ninja abilities should be _declining _with age. L opened the file in a pincer grip, delicately flipping through the first few pages. It wasn't a case file at all, but an official NPA personnel file, for one Yagami Tsuki, detective in the Major Crimes unit. L's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"A personnel file?" Watari's mustache twitched at the corners at the incredulous tone of L's voice. Clearly, the old man had been keeping this file in reserve until L noticed his dearth of Japanese case work.

"Yes. This detective is the reason that you have had no cases in Japan". Another mustache twitch. "The NPA is calling him the next L. Interpol is starting to notice him as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to recruit him within the year".

"THE NEXT L?"

That damned mustache was outright jiggling now. L was incensed. Obviously Quillish was actually _trying not to laugh._ No one could compete with L, much less some Japanese woman who'd only been a detective for two years!

"Detective Yagami Light, aged twenty-four" Watari began, clearly taking pity on L. "He is the youngest member of the NPA to ever achieve detective status, at twenty-two-"

"Light?" L interrupted, "The kanji is clearly 'tsuki', a woman's name".

"Apparently" Watari returned, an edge of steel creeping into his tone. L quailed slightly. Quillish hated being interrupted and was the provider of his sugar, after all. "It is written as 'moon', pronounced as 'Light'. Or in the Japanese, 'Raito'. He is the son of NPA chief Yagami Soichiro, who you have met on previous cases".

L remembered Yagami Soichiro, a broad-shouldered man of stern countenance and even sterner ethics. He did not recall the man as having any particular brilliance, but his determination and leadership abilities were impressive, and he had quite an intimidating presence.

"Yagami-kun was the Top Student in all of Japan on both his high-school and college entrance examinations, and attended To-Oh University. He attained a degree in Criminal Justice in just two years, entering the NPA immediately. He has since earned a Master's degree in Criminal Psychology and Profiling. Apparently, Yagami-kun has been consulting on cases for the NPA since he was fourteen, and has never yet failed to solve one. His career potential is often described by the NPA higher-ups as 'stratospheric', and he has been given all the cases that would have previously been ascribed to outside consult such as yourself. He is also" Watari shifted L a significant look over his spectacles "a high school and college tennis champion and has an IQ score that rivals your own".

L's eyes widened as he devoured Yagami Light's file, listening to Watari intently all the while. Could it be possible that L had finally found a _challenge_? A potential kindred spirit? It was ludicrous that just when it seemed impossible to be roused from his boredom that such a man would appear, and in his own profession. To even share his hobbies? Inconceivable, really. There had to be a catch somewhere...

"!"

L's gasp was so beyond his usual restraint of emotion that Watari's expression went from fond to alarmed. "L?"

"He's..." L opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. In his trembling thumb and forefinger, L held the standard NPA identification photograph from Yagami's file.

"L?" Watari repeated, growing slightly disturbed now.

"He's _beautiful_" L muttered, seemingly unaware he was speaking aloud. "He certainly looks nothing like Yagami Soichiro. He doesn't even look Japanese, but for the shape of his eyes and his skin tone". L's face went from reverent to determined in a flash. Spinning his chair back to the bank of computer screens, he flicked a sequence of keys, bringing a Gothic letter "M" to one screen and an "N" to another. Flipping the switch on his microphone, L addressed his successors.

"M? N? Are you connected?"

"N is go" came a computer-altered voice immediately. L paused, waiting for a response from his ground team. Mello and Matt were his evidence-gathering unit, known to be L's "first wave" agents. Certainly they would take longer to respond than Near, who compiled strategy and data analysis for that evidence and would be in a set-up mirroring L's own.

"M? Do you read?"

Static filtered through the speakers, then the disconcerting effect of computerized giggling. The voice that responded, though still disguised, was clearly out of breath.

"M here. We were...indisposed". L categorically did not want to think about how Mello and Matt might be indisposed at one in the morning.

"I have a new target for you" L said, ignoring Watari's mumble of protest at his back.

"Sweet! Are we in on the Coventry Murders? 'Cause those are SO WRONG. I mean, that bloke is a total nutter, L, and you know how I love the psycho cases..."

"No!" L broke in quickly, before Mello could digress on his love for hunting down deranged serial killers. "This is research only. Most likely long-term, surveillance to be performed whenever I do not have you active on a case".

"L..." Watari began, only to be waved off by a pale hand.

"What is the target suspected of, if I may ask?" Near's calm voice floated through the speaker to his right. "And what sort of person are we watching? This will of course determine the nature of the surveillance and what equipment will be necessary".

L bit his thumb again, attempting to find a way to phrase his orders that did not sound ridiculous.

"L? That's too big a pause, man. What's the catch?" Damn it, that had to be Matt. He was certainly the most astute of the three when it came to people. "I suspect this will be either super-dangerous, or super-boring from the length of that pause".

L sighed. "I would like you to perform in-depth surveillance on a member of the National Police Agency in Tokyo. Specifically, a detective in the Major Crimes Unit".

Silence.

"This...isn't about a dirty cop, is it?" Damn Matt.

"I surmise that this is about competition, considering how long it has been since L has seen any casework in Japan, or delegated such to us." Damn Near, for that matter.

"I'm sending you his file. Reports to me weekly, until I tell you otherwise. L out".

L punched the "end" key and flicked off his microphone, studiously ignoring Watari's black looks in his direction.

"L, you can't just-"

"I most certainly can. You know I hate competition, Watari. I want to know what I'm dealing with, here. In addition to the surveillance, I want you to make sure that I get called in on any international case having to do with Japan".

"Of course, L".

Watari sighed heavily. He had known that L would react strongly to the knowledge of Yagami Light's existence, but he hadn't realized what ramifications that could have on someone as isolated and secretly lonely as L. He hoped, for young Yagami's sake, that an international case came up in Japan sooner rather than later; he was unsure of how circumspect Mello, Matt, and Near could manage to be with someone as brilliant as Light's file indicated.

Had Watari known what sort of case would bring his charge and the Japanese genius together, he would have retired on the spot.


	2. Age of Wolves

_Author's Note:_

_I forgot to include an explanation of the last chapter's title: Hlidskialf is the throne on which Odin, ruler of the Aesir (gods), sits to watch Midgard, the human world. This chapter refers to one of the three main signs of the Norse apocalypse- that the human world would fall into violence and chaos, known as the Age of Wolves._

_Descriptions of forensics are accurate- my undergraduate degree is in biology, and I thought about going into forensic pathology for a time. The descriptions of the NPA are slightly inaccurate- the NPA is more of a procedural body, and the Criminal Investigation Division does not have officers of their own per se. However, the structure of the NPA (which is analogous to the FBI in the US) is a bit complicated for the purposes of this fiction. As for Matt's speech later- my husband is a software engineer and a bit of a hacker himself._

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did._

**Chapter One: The Age of Wolves**

_September, 2010- Mitsubishi Headquarters, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

There were some mornings that it did not pay to get out of bed. If there was nothing else in the world that held true, Detective Yagami Light was certain of that. He took three deep breaths, pinched the bridge of his nose, and tried very hard not to vomit.

He almost managed to wrestle his wayward stomach back into some semblance of order when he saw it; a wedding ring still clinging resolutely to the knucklebone of the victim's severed finger.

_That tears it,_ he thought, lurching for the nearby bin and offering up his breakfast. He _knew_ he shouldn't have let his mother push that bowl of miso soup on him right before heading to a homicide scene, but the woman was an unstoppable force of nature on the few occasions her eldest child was back in her care. Between dry heaves, Light mused that staying with his parents while his apartment was painted certainly had its perils- chief among them, being mothered to death by an over-enthusiastic Yagami Sachiko. Once his retching had subsided, Light carefully straightened and wiped his mouth with a tissue from the pack in his suit pocket. _If I'm lucky, no one will have noticed that._

"You ok, Yagami-kun?"

_Damn. _"I'm fine, Matsu" Light replied, striving for his famed calm. Matsuda Touta might be his partner, but that certainly didn't mean that Light was thrilled with showing weakness in front of him. There were plenty of officers in the NPA who were looking for any reason to bring down Yagami Soichiro's son, resenting his age and his success. Light had to be absolutely perfect to prove he had earned his position. More than anything, he had to catch up to _Him_.

"No one's 'fine' with this kind of murder, Yagami-kun" Matsuda said gently. "I'll go get you a glass of water, ok?"

Light managed a half-smile and nod for his colleague. Really, as irritating and immature as the man could be sometimes, his father had done him a favor when assigning him to Matsu. Light had learned, over the course of the last few years, worth was not always defined by intelligence and ambition. Matsuda was one of the kindest men he'd ever known, and was gifted at comforting the families of victims or coaxing information from a reluctant witness- both skills Light had yet to master. He also had a way of keeping Light grounded in the real world, not allowing him to detach himself from humanity. Genius like Light's had a way of being isolating, but his partner and his odd best friend managed to return some warmth to his world. _Come to think of it_, _Misa should be back from her London shoot today. There's probably a horribly bubbly message waiting on my machine._

Light took another deep breath, wincing at the taste of bile in his mouth, and cleared his mind. _All right, focus. It's not a person anymore, just evidence. Evidence will illuminate the mind of the killer. See the connections._

Light's eyes blanked, becoming glazed as he took in the victim impassively. His mind alighted on the tiny details of the body, zeroing in without conscious thought on the minor clues, the overlooked information. Light could see the connections between the clues in his mind as a shimmering web, all the threads leading back to a single source. If he could follow them all, he could find the spider.

_Victim is male, mid-thirties, Japanese native, medium height and build. Found prone in his office, head wound from blunt object to right temple. No corresponding blood or matter on corners of desk or chairs, nor on any object in office. Killer likely took object from bookcase, as there is one shelf where the personal effects and decorations are not symmetrical. Have Matsu get inventory of office from secretary, once she regains consciousness. Head wound not likely to be cause of death, as other mutilations show coagulation. Probable cause of death- heart failure due to exsanguination. Fingers of left hand removed, damage to stomach and groin from sharp instrument, likely a common chef's knife from the size and cleanliness of the cuts. No bruises to body or limbs, face untouched. _Light leaned over the body and gently tipped the head to one side, noting the darkened color of the left side of the victim's face. A gloved finger pressed lightly to the discoloration, showing no lightening of the leaden hue. _Lividity at left side of face, fixed, with no dual pattern- indicates body has not been moved since death. _The splayed limbs were already beginning to lose the stiffness of rigor mortis, but only just. _Time of death at least twelve hours ago, due to fixed lividity and lessening of rigor, but less than 18 considering ambient temperature and lack of decomposition of body. _

Light straightened again, accepting the Styrofoam cup of water Matsuda held out to him. He sipped slowly, still lost in his mental web. Matsuda was speaking, but the words melted into the background.

_Victim would have been attacked sometime between five and ten pm, last night. Victim was not working, as secretary had already left for the evening and no interrupted work is in evidence on the desk or the computer. That, consistent with the blow to the head and the type of wounds…_

"Matsu".

Matsuda stopped talking immediately. He instantly recognized the tone of Light's voice, and knew when to shut up and listen, another thing Light had come to admire about the man.

"It was his mistress".

Matsuda's eyebrows rose. "His what? There isn't any evidence that he had a mistress, Yagami-kun. No one we talked to mentioned anything shady like that, and his wife was devastated".

Light smiled tightly. "Nonetheless, he had a mistress, and we need to find her. She likely killed him because he would not leave his wife, which was why she severed the fingers of his left hand only". Light pointed to the hand in question. "Notice how crude the cuts are there compared to the wounds on his stomach and groin? A woman would have had a much harder time mustering the force to remove fingers than a man. The wound pattern on the body is angled upwards, indicating the killer was significantly shorter than the victim, and the blow to the head preceded the other wounds, from the rate of coagulation. There is also no damage to the face, often a hallmark of a female assailant. I estimate that she hit him on the head to daze him, probably with an object taken from the third shelf of the bookcase, stabbed him repeatedly, and then removed his fingers after he fell. Those wounds show the least coagulation, and were clearly done once the victim was prone, from the blood splatter pattern".

Matsuda sighed heavily. "Let's hope forensics bears you out, Yagami-kun…but I trust you. I'll go check in with the Chief and let him know where we stand, then we can go track down this mistress of yours".

Light smiled again, genuinely this time. "Thank you, Matsu".

As he finished his water and removed his gloves, Light began to create a profile in his head for the mistress. _Evil_ was the first thought that popped into his mind, but Light shook his head strongly. _Shades of gray, Light. The world exists in shades of gray. _Even when he wasn't present, his father's voice was always with him. Light had a difficult time, when he first began consulting with the NPA, in reconciling his idealism with reality. To a teenage Light, the world was a strict dichotomy- people were evil or good, and never the twain shall meet. At eighteen, he had spoken to his father about his despair that the "world was rotting", that evil went unpunished, and that he would never be able to do anything about it as a member of the NPA. Soichiro removed Light from school for nearly a month on the premises of an "internship" with the prefectural police, and essentially glued the teen to his side at work. Through his father, Light had seen women who killed their husbands because they were abused, sneak-thieves who mustered the courage to testify against yakuza bosses, and conmen who stole to feed their orphaned siblings. Soichiro's intervention had saved Light's sanity, really. He could see now how, with his isolation and unyielding principles, he might have become a sociopath himself. _It still doesn't make those initial impulses any weaker_, he thought.

The elevator Light was heading for chimed softly, the doors opening with a slight hiss. He was almost trampled by Mogi Kanzo and Aizawa Shuichi, two of his father's most trusted detectives, on their way to the scene. Mogi steadied Light with a strong hand to the shoulder, and gave him a stern nod before continuing on but Aizawa lagged behind.

"So, Bocchan, Matsu says you think you've solved this already".

Light forced himself to suppress a cringe. Aizawa had been calling him "Young Master" since he was fourteen years old, a not-so-subtle poke at Light's tendency towards arrogance. Honestly, when would the man take him seriously?

"Yes" Light responded curtly. "We just need to do some tracking, now". To his surprise, Aizawa grinned.

"Also heard you puked after seeing the stiff" he quipped. "Not very dignified, eh, Bocchan?"

"Shut up".

The glee on Aizawa's face melted a little at the chagrin evident on Light's features. _Kid's usually a better actor than this_. He reached out and shook the kid's shoulder a little, forcing those amber eyes to meet his.

"Oi, it's ok, you know. Not to be perfect". Light's startled expression made Aizawa smile again, but gentler. "That you still have that reaction proves you're still human. It's when you get _used_ to this kind of violence that you need to worry, kid. When you can see one human destroyed by another this way and just clinically go on? Then you're a sociopath".

Light shrugged the hand off of his shoulder, unnerved. Aizawa had always been brusque and hot-tempered, and seemed to take delight in busting Light's balls; now, he could see the doting father he knew the man to be at home and he wasn't quite sure what to do with that kind of understanding being directed at him. Aizawa gave a slight chuckle at Light's discomfort, turning to cross the tape into the crime scene.

"Why be so kind now?" Light blurted, despite himself. "You've never liked me, Aizawa-san. So why not take my humiliation and run with it?"

Aizawa turned, a bit surprised. "I like you just fine, Bocchan. It's just that when you started working with us, we really had to learn to work with _two _people- you, and your ego. I was appointed honorary manager of the latter. Now go get her, kid".

With that, Aizawa trotted off after Mogi, afro bumping into the doorframes as he went. Light opened and closed his mouth several times, but the words didn't seem to want to come.

Yes, there were days it just didn't pay to get out of bed in the morning.

_Same Day- Yagami Light's apartment, Higashi district, Shibuya, Tokyo_

"Bugger!"

Matt chanced a look over the top of his Nintendo DS to the source of the lurid cussing; now progressing from English to a mangled stream of Russian, German, and Japanese. Mello stood in the center of Detective Yagami's bedroom, cursing a blue streak at Near. The smaller boy was holding Mello's wrist in a tight grip, keeping him from opening the top drawer of the neat desk beside the bed. Matt sighed, returning his gaze to his game. Near and Mello having it out was par for the course, after all.

"I was merely attempting to ensure you did not set off the trap on the drawer, as you did with the one on the file cabinet", Near said calmly, releasing Mello's arm. "It was difficult enough for me to reset the files so that Yagami-san will not notice the intrusion, I do not wish to consider what sort of device he will employ on his personal items".

"What makes you so sure there _is_ a trap on this drawer, Snowy?" Mello retorted. "The damned keys are in the lock. Clearly nothing in here is that important".

Matt sighed again, this time loud enough to be heard. "Oh, you have something to say on this, Red?"

"Mels, we have been watching this dude for eight months on and off. Haven't you learned _anything_ about him yet? Other than the fact that he has a fine ass, that is?" Matt knew his response came off catty, but Mello had been extolling the virtues of Yagami Light's posterior since the first time he saw him in person.

"Well, that's the important part" Mello grumbled, but subsided. Matt and Near didn't often gang up on him, and he did have a tendency to jump first and ask questions later. "Yours is better, though. All right, hit me with it, love".

Slightly mollified, Matt paused his game and continued. "First, the guy is not only a perfectionist, but has some serious issues with both OCD and paranoia. Second, he has an intellect that, quite frankly, scares even me- and he's devious. His thought patterns are as convoluted as L's, so nothing is ever going to be what it looks like with Light-o. Put those together, and what have you got?"

"A man who traps his desk drawer, while leaving a key in the lock to look like there's nothing important there at all?"

"Bingo, Blondie". Matt unpaused his game and resumed beating the snot out of the level boss. "Now let Near take a look at it first, see what he makes of it".

Near was already halfway under the desk, running his fingers along the edges of the drawers and matching the lengths of the runners. He half-expected to find needle-fine wires laid across the drawer front in a complicated pattern, like the ones on the file cabinet. Any movement of the drawers disrupted the pattern and snarled the wire, alerting the detective to an attempt to read his files. Fortunately, Near's patience had been honed by years of creating matchstick skyscrapers, and he was able to replace the wires after the files had been examined. Finding nothing of the sort, he carefully slid the drawer open, only to discover a plain journal and ballpoint pen, nothing more. The journal appeared ordinary, and a quick perusal of its contents proved it to be so.

_Decoy_, Near thought. _It's what L would do._ Indeed, L had set similar puzzles for the trio when they were younger, teaching them to look for the tiniest scraps of evidence at a scene. Yes, clearly a decoy, but what was it concealing? Frowning thoughtfully, Near measured the depth of the drawer from the inside, then the outside. _Ah, a false bottom. Very good, detective._ He began to insert a pick to lift the wood, and then paused. _Too easy. _Instead, he wedged himself under the drawer and examined the bottom. A tiny hole in the center of the drawer provided the clue. _What would fit in…ah! In plain sight, but not. VERY good, Yagami-san. _Smiling slightly, Near reached back into the drawer for the biro, unscrewed the cap and removed the slender ink cartridge. He slipped it into the hole in the bottom of the drawer, lifting the false bottom and revealing an extremely nasty set-up. It was only when the whistle sounded behind him that Near realized Mello had been watching over his shoulder.

"That" Mello said admiringly, "Is one paranoid, fucked-up bloke. I have to be in the room when this guy meets L".

"Indeed", Near replied. Matt, intrigued by an actual agreement between the rivals, actually put his console down and lifted his goggles as he leaned over the drawer.

"Whoa. What is that, gasoline? This dude is a mad genius."

The drawer was trapped with a series of wires that would ignite a flat bag of gasoline if the false drawer bottom was lifted, incinerating a tiny notepad and a flash drive sitting on top. The apparatus was disarmed by pushing the biro through the contact points, disrupting the circuits.

"Let's see what the good detective is protecting, shall we?"

The notepad proved frustratingly indecipherable to Near, and to Mello once it was passed on. Matt, however, grinned.

"It's hacking notes, you losers. If I'm reading this right, these notes are shorthand for his technique for breaching corporate firewalls and file encryptions. The flash drive is probably all his code". He paged through with a greedy gleam in his eye. "This guy gets more interesting all the time. Let me at that computer".

"Need I remind you" Near broke in as Matt cracked his knuckles and began the tedious task of breaking into Light's computer, "that we only have until tomorrow morning to finish our investigation of Yagami-san's apartment? Our contacts will have finished painting the apartment by then, and I have seen how long it takes you to break an encryption, Matt".

"No worries" Matt replied, goggles firmly in place again. "I know how to recognize important information. I'll just snag anything that looks relevant if I can't break it by tomorrow, and do it back at base".

Near opened his mouth to object, but Mello laid his hand on the boy's shoulder and shook his head. Matt was utterly unreachable when he dove into his hacking. They might as well get some food and get comfortable.

At midnight, Matt made a breakthrough. A strangled cheer of triumph alerted Mello and Near, who were compiling the notes they had made on Yagami's apartment and comparing them to the previous eight months of surveillance.

"Steganography- that sneaky fuck!"

"Isn't that what secretaries do?" Mello drawled, uninterested. Matt groaned.

"Not stenography, Mels, steganography. It's security through obscurity, basically. Hiding text or images inside other images. This picture doesn't fit- the one of him with that supermodel friend of his? It's his wallpaper, but the picture is also sitting in a frame right here on his desk".

Mello and Near both favored Matt with blank looks that clearly stated _So?_

"God. I don't know how you two antisocial weirdoes got to be top ranked." Matt blew his bangs off his lenses in frustration. "Who keeps a framed copy of a picture right next to a computer screen showing the _same damn picture_? Especially when you consider that this guy isn't exactly the sentimental type? The wallpaper image is hiding information. I just have to figure out how it's hidden, but it's important. I can taste it".

"Whatever Mattycakes. You do that" Mello replied. "Me and the albino here are going to transmit to L with your laptop".

Matt turned back to the screen with renewed vigor as Mello stretched his arms over his head, shoulder joints popping.

"I understand why L is interested in this guy and all" he remarked to Near, "but this is getting to be obsession. Remember that time two months ago when we met him for the case in Istanbul, and I brought him those girly magazines that had the articles about Yagami and that model what's-her-face in them? L's response was downright creepy. And this is _me_ talking, here".

Near nibbled his thumbnail pensively. "Agreed. I am relieved that Japan has remained free of international crimes, as I fear L's logic could become compromised should he meet Yagami-san".

"Compromised, hell. This is L we're talking about. He's not one to let the personal interfere with a case. But this guy?" Mello scowled and snapped off a bite from a chocolate bar retrieved from his pocket, "He's disgustingly brilliant. He's so dedicated as to be nearly fanatical. He has no life to speak of, but sickening charisma and a lot of fans-slash-stalkers. He's paranoid and OCD and a little too detached to be consistent with mental health. Take away the immaculate clothes and those male-model looks, and he _is_ L".

"Maybe" Matt quipped over the clacking of the keys, "L needs that. I mean, Mels and I are together, and you're like our brother, Near. Stop choking, Mello, it's true. L doesn't have that. He's never seemed to want it, but he's a very good actor. And if we're going to be honest, none of us can keep up with him individually. Light Yagami? He could. After watching him for eight months, and L's reactions, I think they need each other". He grinned at the shell-shocked stares on the faces of his companions. "Or they'll kill each other. Either way, it won't be boring. Ah! Gotcha! Oh...shit".

"What?"

Mello rushed over to Matt's side, watching in awe as the image on the screen broke down and re-arranged into words. "How did you…?"

"Well, a 24-bit bitmap will have 8 bits representing each of the three color values- red, green, and blue-at each pixel. So, for just the blue there will be 28 different values of blue. The difference between 0xff and 0xfe in the value for blue intensity is nearly undetectable by the human eye. Therefore, the least significant bit can be used for something else other than color information. If we do it with the green and the red as we can get one letter of ASCII text for every three pixels. This is a big image, so that's a lot of text". Matt glanced up into the glazed eyes of his colleagues. "Neither of you got that did you? Doesn't matter. What's important here is that encrypted in this image is a list of all of L's known cases. I bet if I broke down each image in his 'Pictures' folder that had a corresponding hard copy picture in his apartment, I'd find the particulars of each of those cases. Don't you get it?" Matt's grin grew to Cheshire proportions.

"I'll be damned" Mello laughed. "They've been stalking _each other_!"


	3. Voluspa

_Author's Note:_

_Many thanks to those of you who reviewed. I have always been somewhat hesitant to publish my material (particularly so my fan work, as it is based on someone else's much-beloved characters), and you have given me a great deal of encouragement. Much love and please keep letting me know how I'm doing! As a side note, the chapters will get longer as we go along- the first few are introductory._

_Völuspá_ _is a poem in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Icelandic poems preserved in the medieval manuscript Codex Regius. It is from the Poetic Edda that most study of the beginning and end of the world according to Norse mythology is found. In this poem, Odin conjures a shamanic priestess called a "volva", who gives him a prophecy on the end of the world. _

"_Fimbul-winter" and "Age of Winds" are other terms for the Age of Wolves, a sign of the coming of Ragnarok. "Howes'-warder" means "guardian of graves", and "Aesir" is the race of the gods._

_All locations in Tokyo are real, as are the hotels L stays in. Go to .com/hong_#/hong_kong/en/Accommodation/The_Peninsula_Suite/ if you want to see L's Hong Kong suite. It might make you really hate rich people, though. The Peninsula hotels worldwide are disgustingly gorgeous- I will stay in one when I can gather up the $550 US PER NIGHT that a basic room costs. _

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did._

**Chapter Two: Völuspá**

_30 September, 2010- Unknown location, Tokyo_

From the shadows, the Trickster stirred; shape-shifter, world-wanderer, shadow-friend. All was in readiness, for fimbul-winter had come for mankind and the Age of Winds was at hand. All that remained was the catalyst, and his children would begin the war for him. After all, his daring escape from the Cavern was the first Sign.

"My Lord?"

A quiet, respectful voice in the darkness- the rasping tones of his tragic daughter. Half-black, half-flesh, the Howes'-warder ruled over the land of the dead in the freezing deeps of Niflheim. Soon, though, she would rise to the surface to enact his vengeance upon the Aesir.

"It is time, Hel. Gather your brothers, for we deliver our challenge to Odin upon the morrow".

"Yes, my Lord".

Yes, it was time, and once Ragnarok was over the world would become a new paradise, all peace and free of the wickedness of the complacent Aesir. The corrupt judgment of the Alfodur must be removed from the nine realms in a great cleansing purge. Only then could he forget the sting of the serpent's venom that had imprisoned him.

_Yagami Light's apartment, Higashi district, Shibuya, Tokyo_

His month was most distinctly not turning out as expected, Light mused that evening in the shower. It had taken Matsuda and himself _six days_ to track down the suspect in the murder at Mitsubishi Corporation, and it turned out to be the secretary of the victim's supervisor. All that legwork and Light never actually needed to leave the building to find the murderer! It took only one interrogation, however, to break her. Higurashi Megumi was more than happy to tell someone her "tragic tale"; her paramour had been promising for seven years to leave his wife, only to dump her for a younger woman. Apparently, his statement that "if I'm going to cheat on my wife, obviously it's going to be with someone young and hot" was the final straw. The case left Light feeling low and rather begrimed. He hardly knew who he loathed more, the criminal or the victim.

His apartment was another source of tension. Light knew that he had tendencies towards obsessive-compulsive behavior, but he could not help the feeling of violation he always experienced when someone had been in his private space. Even his family, Matsu, and Misa weren't free to roam around the apartment unsupervised. His sister Sayu had, of course, tried rifling through Light's things when he was in the bathroom once, and gotten her fingers hopelessly entangled in the wire trap on his filing cabinet. After proclaiming him "too paranoid for mere words", Sayu had blackmailed him by threatening to tell their parents he had booby-traps in his apartment. Light had lost half a paycheck on a Prada purse for _that_ debacle. Having the painters in while he stayed with his parents was a bit much for his neuroses to take, and he had spent his entire day off that week meticulously cleaning and examining his apartment for discrepancies. Fortunately, his traps appeared untouched, and the only disruption was the normal shuffling of furniture needed to work on the walls. If Light believed in gods, he would have sent them fervent thanks that he lived in a European-styled apartment and did not possess tatami-matted floors to be destroyed by clumsy workmen. Those workmen were a problem, too. One of them had been a foreigner, clearly evident by his yellow-blond hair and light eyes; the leader of the crew had explained the boy was a foreign exchange student at a local high school. Light thought nothing of it, until he saw the boy again.

_He had been leaving the NPA headquarters building in Chiyoda, when a flash of brilliant gold caught his attention. It was that boy again, this time dressed in the uniform of nearby Hibiya High School. The Hibiya branch of the Tokyo Metropolitan library was nearby, and the boy had a loaded backpack, so it hadn't seemed unusual even then- a coincidence. Three more times in the next fortnight, however, and Light was more than a little suspicious. Their last encounter had been at a local café, where Light was supposed to be meeting Matsu for lunch so they could discuss their latest case. The boy had walked out as Light walked in, tripping slightly on the stoop and dropping his books. Light had bent over automatically to pick them up, only noting when his eyes met the clear blue-green gaze rather than the brown he was expecting that his erstwhile stalker had literally run into him this time. The foreigner let his eyes run obviously over Light's body, a lecherous grin forming on his pale lips. _

"_Thanks, cutie". The voice was a deep baritone, unexpected in such a slender boy. He stood up, holding his books to his chest and offered Light his hand. Light took it uneasily, rather taken aback at the forwardness displayed. _

"_You're quite welcome", Light replied, stiff formality taking over to offset his discomfort. The grin on the blonde's face only grew at this._

"_I might just take you up on that sometime"._

_He was out the door and halfway down the street before Light had managed to wrap his mind around the cheesiness of that line. It was only after he was working his way through an order of shumai that Light even realized the exchange had been entirely in English- as if the boy had already known he spoke it fluently. Of course, Light reminded himself, English-speakers tended to assume everyone spoke English, so that was hardly conclusive. Still, the possibilities spinning themselves out in Light's mind were far from comforting. Either he was being spied on, or he had acquired yet another stalker/fan boy. _

Sinking into his steaming tub, Light rubbed his temples and tried not to think too hard about that. It was proving hard enough to get rid of his last stalker; he certainly didn't need another one. Why he had agreed to go out on a date with a public prosecutor, someone he _worked with_ for crying out loud, he'd never know. On second thought, he did know what prompted that poor decision, and it liked to dress in black lace.

"_But Raitoooooo", Misa whined, "Raito-kun never goes out and does anything! Mikami-kun is a hottie, in a sort of cool, nerdy-glasses kind of way. Besides, it's just one date, what can it hurt?"_

_Light lifted an eyebrow at her incredulously. "I'm not gay, Misa"._

_Misa snorted indelicately. "Raito-kun's not straight, either. Misa would think Raito was asexual, if she didn't know he was just indifferent. Mikami-kun is smart and cute, and in the same line of work as Raito-kun. He's perfect!"_

"_He's obsessive"._

"_So is Raito-kun", Misa retorted snappily. "So they will get along just fine."_

_Light sighed; he was well aware he would never win out against Hurricane Misa when she had a goal in mind. "All right, one date. But if he's an obsessive weirdo, it will be your fault." Running a hand through his hair, Light quickly changed the subject. "How was Amsterdam, Misa?"_

_Suddenly the model looked sheepish. "Yes, well, the shoot went wonderfully! The photographer was amazing, and knew just how to put Misa in the best light."_

"_What are you leaving out?" Light teased gently. "You're embarrassed, something I thought to be next to impossible for you"._

_Misa squirmed uncomfortably and tried to make herself as small as possible on the couch. "Misa may have punched Ryuga Hideki in the mouth. No big deal!"_

"_What! Misa, I know you said he's annoying, but you can't just assault people for being irritating", Light exclaimed. "I never would have taught you self-defense if I knew you were going to react that way!"_

"_But RAITO-KUN" Misa whined, "He wouldn't accept that Misa did not want to go out with him, and then he pinched Misa's backside!"_

"_He's a dead man" Light declared flatly. "Sexually assaulting a woman is the lowest of the low…"_

"_No worries, Raito-kun!" the blonde replied. "Ryuga-kun has a split lip now, and his face is pretty much all Ryuga-kun cares about, so he's punished!" Her glee trailed off into a heavy sigh. "Why can't Misa find a man like Raito-kun?"_

"_Misa…"_

"_Misa knows", Misa replied with a watery smile, "that Raito-kun doesn't love Misa 'that way'. He is her very best friend, and that is enough. But Raito-kun has ruined Misa for ordinary men- she needs to find a man who is smart and courageous and beautiful and ambitious now, or he'll just wilt away by comparison!"_

_Light's smile turned slightly wicked at this. "You know, there's always Matsu…"_

"_Ewwww!" Misa shrieked, throwing the couch cushions at Light's head. "Misa takes it back; Raito-kun is pure evil!"_

Light laughed a little at the memory, tilting his head backwards to lie on the rim of the tub. Perhaps he should call Misa for lunch tomorrow; she could always take his mind off more serious matters. He had met Misa eight years ago, consulting on a murder case for his father. A couple and their young daughter had been brutally murdered in their apartment, and their elder daughter had found the bodies when she returned home from work. The girl, an up-and-coming model, was near-catatonic and useless as a witness. There was little in the way of forensics at the scene, and the prefectural police had been afraid the crime was completely random, calling in the Criminal Investigations unit of the NPA for assistance. Light's father had believed he could be of help to the case, as he was only a year or so younger than the surviving daughter and could possibly talk to her. Light, only sixteen at the time, had been furious after seeing the horrid state the girl was in and vowed that he would find the murderer no matter what the cost. Touched at his dedication to avenging people he had never met, Misa began to trust Light, slowly coming back to herself as the case wore on. Light had solved the case, of course, but the outcome was disturbing for Misa- a crazed fan had murdered her family, believing that he could be with the young model if they were out of the way. It was Light's friendship that kept her sane, though it certainly had cemented Misa's love for him for good. She knew he could not return her feelings, but seemed happy just to spend time with him anyway, as friends. Misa taught Light about compassion, kindness, and loyalty; in turn, Light taught Misa ambition, self-confidence, and self-reliance. He felt very fortunate to have her in his life, though his guilt at being unable to love her as she deserved surfaced every now and again. Misa simply wanted Light to be happy, and his happiness made her happy. A truer friend he could not wish for, and he would always protect her if he could.

Of course, that didn't mean he was about to take her dating advice ever again. Mikami Teru was a stalker of the worst kind, and she _owed_ him big for encouraging him to go on that one fateful date. Light had actually taken to ducking around corners when he had occasion to be in the courthouse, and had once even slipped into a janitor's closet to avoid the man. It was Misa's fault Mikami even came onto Light in the first place, because of that damned article for _Eighteen_ magazine. The photographers had wanted to do a lengthy piece on the idol Misa-Misa, following her everyday life. Of course, Misa had insisted that Light be included in the shoot as her "very best friend". The director was sold after one look at him, and a very reluctant Light was put into the photo spread with Misa. The accompanying article gushed about Misa-Misa's "favorite companion, a heroic NPA detective with glowing amber eyes and a smile that could stop traffic". Speculation as to their relationship followed, of course, and the article had come to two possible conclusions- either Misa and Light were hiding their relationship "to protect our beautiful Misa-Misa from the detective's many enemies", or that Light was gay as no straight man could resist the famed model. To his chagrin, Light found that many women actually liked the second option _better_, and that there were far more yaoi fans in Tokyo than he had dreamed. Of course, the rumors had gotten back to his father (through that hell spawn Sayu) and the others at the department. Soon enough, Light was being interrogated on his sexuality by his coworkers, and asked out at least twice daily by men. Light had been far too busy in his life for dating, so this gave an unnecessary layer of complication to his daily routine. He had only considered Mikami's offer because he was intelligent and handsome, ambitious and respected in his profession. It had occurred to Light that he could not find a suitable partner if he was unwilling to even look, so he had imagined that a few dates couldn't hurt. His obsessive fan club had taught him otherwise.

_Why can't I just meet someone who is a challenge, who is intelligent and ambitious and won't fawn over me as though I am some doll?_ Light wiped his hand over his face tiredly, and reached for his towel. It was probably time for bed if his thoughts were getting so whiny and maudlin. There was nothing wrong with his life as it was; he most certainly didn't need love, of all things, to complicate it. Surely things would look better in the morning, when he wasn't so tired.

By noon the next day, Light was scowling at the handcuff around his left wrist and musing that he was better off with maudlin and whiny, truth be told.

_1 October, 2010: 1a.m.- Penthouse Suite, Peninsula Hotel, Kowloon, Hong Kong_

L stood at the expansive glass doors of his hotel suite, staring aimlessly at the panoramic view of Victoria Harbor. A casual observer would take his glassy, unfocused gaze for awe at the glittering skyline stretched out before him, but in truth his mind was working furiously on his greatest problem. The detective bit the thumb at his lips harshly. It was one thing to be confounded over a difficult case, quite another to be so unbalanced by a single _person_.

Two weeks prior, his heirs had delivered unbelievable news, gained by their rather illegal search of Yagami Light's apartment. Not only was the man just as freakishly guarded as L himself, but Light was also following his career with a vigor that could only be called obsessive. L had been loath to give stock to Matt's comments that Light was "totally fanboying" him, but the evidence did not lie. Coded into the digital copy of every photograph in Yagami Light's home were the details of every case L had ever taken publicly under that alias- and then some. Apparently, Light had been profiling L as well, and had managed to deduce that Eraldo Coil was just another of L's aliases. He had not yet unpicked Daneuve, but L knew it was only a matter of time. The boy had even, from studying the _manner_ in which L solved his cases, deduced personality traits about L that were ridiculously insightful. Light's genius apparently went beyond what even L had credited, and that was dangerous. L _never_ underestimated a target, so for his faculties to begin failing him now was unsettling. Of course, in L's ensuing, highly private panic that he was "quite possibly becoming an idiot", Watari had assured him that this was clearly not the case. The old man had smiled gently, and told L that he was "simply protecting himself from becoming disappointed when he met the boy". L wasn't sure when Watari decided to take up pop psychology, but he didn't like it at all. His interest in Yagami Light was purely professional…wasn't it?

Commandeering Light's entire school history, including all extra-curricular activities, was simply research into a possible rival. L had to know how much potential the detective had to rise above the strictures of the NPA. Having his successors follow Light, tap his phones, and monitor his cases all fell under those same auspices. After all, L didn't get to be the best in the world by ignoring his competition. Digging into his friendships and love life weren't unprofessional either; if the man let himself be distracted by such things, he'd never be real competition for L. His own relief that Light seemed only minimally interested in those relationships was slightly worrying, but perhaps he really was starting to get his hopes up for a real challenge. The magazine…

L bit his thumb again, this time drawing blood. He winced at the taste of iron coating his tongue, and at his sudden twinge of shame. The magazine really was a bit much. Mello had brought a copy of _Eighteen_ with him from Japan the last time they had met up in person. He remembered raising a hidden eyebrow at the glossy picture on the front cover. While it was true that he was a fan of Misa-Misa's work, he couldn't quite understand why Mello would go out of his way to bring L a magazine aimed at teenage girls.

"_Read the article, L" Mello said, throwing himself onto the plush sofa and bringing his feet to the table with a heavy clunk. "I think you'll find it…enlightening"._

_L sighed and flipped to the center spread, not sure what could possibly interest him. The breath was driven from his lungs a moment later. There, in a two-page layout, was Yagami Light. He was leaning against a wall in Amane Misa's palatial apartment, wearing what appeared to be an Armani suit with the jacket thrown over his shoulder. His auburn hair was tousled slightly, and he gazed at the camera with that completely bored expression models took years to perfect. What captured L the most, however, were those eyes. The photograph was of far better quality than those in his ever-growing file on Light, making the unique shade of clear amber apparent. Those were eyes that could see straight through a man, and L was mesmerized. _

"_Look, L, I know the bloke's fit and all, but you should actually READ the article" Mello sniped, a strange look on his face. "The way you're staring at that picture is all kinds of creepy"._

_L snorted, ignoring the blonde and browsing the article. He nearly rolled his eyes at the quote in which Misa claimed "Raito-kun" to be her "very best friend". There were actually hearts and flowers around the text proclaiming the detective's bravery and heroism, for goodness' sakes. Then, L saw it- the text that made his stomach roll and his fingers shake. Yagami Light, the article speculated breathlessly, was most likely gay. Their reasoning, of course, was absurd. While Amane Misa was beautiful, she was also vapid and vacuous; L could not find merit in the claim that no straight man could resist her. However, an alternative sexuality would explain a number of other observations he had made about Yagami: his obsessive cleanliness, his fashion sense, his meticulous grooming. Even the degree of his paranoia could be linked since homosexuality, while accepted in Japan, was hardly a marker for upward mobility in a conservative organization like the NPA. Perhaps he was just reading into things, as other data seemed to indicate Light might be somewhat asexual, like L himself. _

_L was shaken from his thoughts by Matt clearing his throat rather uncomfortably. _

"_So, the article's probably right. He went on a date with some dude he works with, some kind of public prosecutor. What was his name Mels? Oh wait, Mikami something-or-other. Anyway, clearly Light-o is into men or bi like me". _

_Mello snarled slightly. "You're theoretically bi, Matty. You so aren't getting the chance to put it into practice"._

"_Says the man who drools over Light-o's ass EVERY TIME we go on surveillance" Matt drawled, unimpressed. "Pot? Kettle? Ring any bells?"_

"_Not to interrupt this little lover's quarrel" L interjected, annoyed. "But what became of the incident? Have you conducted an observation on their dates?"_

"_Date, singular" Mello replied. "Yagami isn't an idiot. This lawyer was stalker-fanboy crazy. Light actually jumped into a closet to avoid him the other day. Clearly, obsessive creepy guys aren't his style". _

_The last sentence was said with such over-emphasis that L looked up in surprise. _

"_I am unsure what you are trying to imply with such a comment". _

_Mello sighed heavily, dropping his head onto Matt's shoulder. _

"_I give up, Matt. He's too old for The Talk, and this whole thing is weirding me out. Let's go back to Japan, where the oddball we have to deal with isn't oblivious, at least"._

As a matter of fact, L _still_ wasn't sure what Mello had meant with that comment. He already knew that Yagami was too intelligent to become romantically involved with such a personality type; there was no need for Mello to point it out. He almost thought the brat was trying to call _him_ "creepy", but as to why L couldn't quite fathom. Though, his anonymous purchase of the photos from _Eighteen _Magazine containing Yagami Light might qualify. L wasn't sure why he had felt the need to acquire the pictures, or why he kept them stored away from his main file on Yagami; the purchase had made Watari shake his head and sigh rather explosively. L turned and walked to the coffee table, pressing a sequence of keys on his laptop to expose a hidden slot in the cover. He carefully slid the glossy photos from the archival paper he stored them in, and returned to the windows. Light's clear eyes stared up at him once again, and L drew his finger gently across his face. _Why do you fascinate me so? What is it about you?_

The door to the suite opened and closed with far more noise than necessary, startling L into dropping the photographs to the marble floor. Watari strode in, trench coat and fedora in hand, completely ignoring the mess L had made of the place.

"L, we have a problem".

"Oh?" L's first thought was that their security had been breached, and his location was now known. "Do we need to evacuate the premises?"

"Yes, but not for the reason you are thinking" Watari replied, suddenly glancing at the pictures on the floor. He sighed heavily, laid down his coat and hat, and began to gather them up. "L, I wish I had time to discuss this obsession with you, but it is too late for that. You'll be meeting him soon enough, if I am correct".

L straightened to his full height at that comment. "What do you mean? Is there a case in Japan?"

"There will be". Watari handed L a thick envelope, emblazoned with his trademark gothic letter. "This was delivered by courier to the Hong Kong branch of Interpol just a few hours ago. I had it translated before I returned, to ensure that the message was important enough for your attention". Watari's heavy brows drew together sharply. "You're being…called out, as it were, by an aspiring serial killer".

L opened the envelope hurriedly, poring over the original letter and its translation. He read it twice through to be sure, but there was only one real interpretation for the challenge within.

"It seems I'm not the only one, either". L turned back to his laptop, calling up M and N while packing his files. Watari disappeared into the back rooms; to pack L's few belongings and wipe physical evidence of their presence in the suite, L knew.

"M and N here". The reply over the speakers was swift. _Good, _L thought, _they're already together._

"Pack up your gear. We need a headquarters change to the penthouse suites of the finest hotel you can manage in central Tokyo. We will need accommodations for Watari and myself as well as the three of you, and ample room for the equipment necessary for a large-scale investigation. My ETA at Narita is" L glanced at the clock "0600 hours, Japanese time. Have transport ready".

"Roger. L, how big is this?"

"Possible difficulty exceeds the LABB case. L out".

L finished his preparations quickly, throwing his laptop bag over his shoulder and sneaking down the emergency stairs to a less conspicuous floor.

_Well, Yagami Light, it appears we will finally meet._

_1 October, 2010: 7 a.m., Chiyoda, Tokyo_

Light was trying very hard not to yawn in Matsuda's face. After a brief period of fitful sleep, Light had been woken by the obnoxious ring-tone Matsu had programmed into his phone, followed by frantic pounding on his apartment door. Apparently, he felt Light's "Call First" rule was satisfied if the phone call preceded the visit by more than thirty seconds.

Still, as the cause of his visit was a truly nasty homicide, Light supposed he could forgive him this time. He had dressed as quickly as possible, wisely skipping breakfast and grabbing a coffee at the corner convenience store so that he would be less likely to commit murder himself. Upon arrival at the crime scene, Light reflected that he probably should've gotten a double espresso; the area was crawling with prefectural police, and they appeared to be spending an undue amount of time holding back the _media_. Gods, how Light hated the media. _What the hell are they doing here anyway? _Light thought irritably, slugging his coffee. _I thought the vultures didn't come out until at least noon._

"Yagami-kun?"

Matsuda was waving him around the side of the parking garage where the homicide took place, and around to the building's main entrance. _We're only a few blocks from headquarters, why didn't Matsu just meet me here instead of banging on my door at five in the damned morning?_ Only then did Light's caffeine-rush allow his brain to catch up to his location. _Oh, gods. This is the damned British Embassy. That means this is an international case. Fuck! I'll have some pompous asses from Interpol poaching on my territory. _

Light's ensuing scowl was not lost on Matsuda. The man's usual mask of affable naiveté dropped from his face, to be replaced by the stern dedication that Light was certain he was one of the few people ever to see.

"Yagami-kun, I know you aren't used to ceding control on a case, or sharing information. This, though? This is a case like we haven't seen before, and it's a potential diplomatic disaster". Matsuda's voice lowered to a severe whisper, causing Light to lean forward unconsciously. "The victim is David Warren".

Light's mouth worked open and closed a few times, in what he was sure was a highly undignified manner, before answering.

"The British Ambassador himself?" Matsuda's tight nod made the bottom drop out of Light's stomach. "We're fucked. No ambassador of any nation has ever been killed in Japan, even if this is technically British soil. Interpol is going to shunt us out of this case before we can say 'international incident'."

"Maybe, maybe not" Matsuda replied, leading Light down a corridor and out the emergency exit to the garage. "Your father said the evidence at the scene was…odd. He wanted you down here immediately, before Interpol had a chance to get wind of it. My guess is that if you can figure out something, _anything_ before they're on-scene, then we'll have a legit reason to stay on the case".

Light nodded tersely, making his way to the small knot of detectives gathered around the body. His father's face was grim and set, but he stood aside for his son immediately. The trust he was being shown was not lost on Light. He took a deep breath as he pulled on a pair of latex gloves, his eyes glazing over as he focused on the analysis of the corpse and nothing else.

_Victim is Caucasian male, late 50's, average height and build for ethnicity. Found lying prone in parking garage behind his office, arranged with arms perpendicular to body, torso and legs straight, as in a cross-shape. Arrangement most certainly performed post-mortem. Palms splayed upwards, symbols drawn on each in blood, most likely the victim's own. Probable serial murder or ritual killing. Head wound at right temple appears minor, corresponds to blood streak at victim's height on support pillar next to the body- victim either fell against the pillar in his struggles or was forced into it, to daze him. _Light knelt down, gently lifting open the two halves of the victim's shirt, which were covered in blood. _Cause of death, stab wound to the heart. Minor bruises on torso, extending down to arms. _Light's hands slipped down the sides of the corpse, opening the shirt and checking the color on the torso. He pressed his finger lightly into the purplish discoloration, noting the blanching of the skin. _Lividity at the back and lower torso_,_ not fixed. Time of death, less than eight hours ago. _Light moved up to the victim's face, trying hard to maintain impartiality. _Eyelids and jaw muscles show signs of rigor. _A quick glance down at the victim's limbs made Light frown slightly. _Has not progressed to extremities or torso. Time of death within five hours likely. _Still frowning, Light carefully lifted one of the open palms, checking the fingernails. _No blood under the victim's nails, at least not which can be seen with the naked eye. Forensics will tell more, but unlikely that a ritual killer would leave such evidence. These symbols…they look familiar. _

"Father" Light began, coming out of his trance with difficulty. "Have these symbols been photographed?"

"Of course, Raito" Soichiro replied. "We aren't sure if they have any meaning, but the photos are being sent to headquarters for scanning and analysis".

Light straightened, still wracking his brain for that hint of familiarity. "I've seen symbols like that before…I just can't remember where".

"There are more" Soichiro added. "I wanted to let you see the scene first, but there was a letter found on the victim's chest, just above the fatal wound. The same symbols are on both the envelope and the letter itself". He handed two plastic-covered pieces of paper to his son, who ignored the envelope in favor of the letter.

"It's…almost…" Light frowned. Where _had_ he seen those symbols? The symbols were arranged horizontally, most probably intended to be read left-to-right from the slight slant and morphology of the characters. The regularity and repetition of the symbols left no doubt in Light's mind that this was an alphabet of some kind. The strokes were too straight and upright to be of Middle-Eastern origin. Light closed his eyes. He could almost see the characters if he concentrated, on a photograph in one of his college textbooks. _On a stone, perhaps? Yes! A stone- a rune stone! It was for that European history class I took! _

"Runes, Dad" Light replied, exultant. "This is written in some European runic alphabet, though I certainly can't tell you which one or translate it. It ought to help narrow down the field, though".

Soichiro clapped a hand to Light's shoulder. "Well done, son. Now, we need to let the forensic team get on with their work, and we need to talk to…"

"Hold on. This investigation is now under different jurisdiction".

The detectives turned as one towards the interrupting voice. A uniformed foreigner was striding across the garage in their direction, followed at a discrete distance by a tall man in a black trench-coat and fedora. _Well that's subtle,_ Light thought.

"John Warrington, International Police", the man said, flashing his Interpol identification. "This is no longer your case, boys. This attack occurred on British soil, and therefore is an international case. The British government has called in consult, who will now be taking jurisdiction". He nodded slightly to the man behind him.

"Gentlemen, I am pleased to meet you. I am Watari".

The voice that issued from the shadows of that ridiculous coat's upturned collar was smooth and precise, the Japanese flawless with no trace of accent. Light felt his mind screech to a halt. _Watari? That means…they called HIM in. On MY case. Those bastards!_

"I assure you, detectives, that we wish to work with you rather than against you on this case. Though we certainly have our own operatives, we will need some assistance on the ground. My…employer has done extensive research on each of you, and would like you to be his liaison team with the Japanese police. We have reason to believe this killing will not be an isolated incident".

"Do you?" Light replied, ignoring the warning touch his father placed on his back. "Though I have come to the same conclusion myself, I would like to know how your _employer_ arrived at the same without ever seeing the crime scene."

Watari chuckled slightly, but Light somehow did not feel offended by it. The man seemed to exude a feeling of reassurance, even in his absurd costume. "Ah, Yagami-kun, but we have other evidence. Evidence that will, of course, be shared with you once we adjourn to your headquarters. We do not want to speak of this in the open, nor keep him waiting".

"Of course. We couldn't have that, now could we?" Light responded, his sarcasm as always perfectly hidden. Watari chuckled again, and waved the detectives towards their vehicles. _Perhaps not so perfectly hidden, then. Watari is the public voice for L, and L is a genius. Of course it stands to reason that he would choose the best to represent him. _

_1 October, 2010: 8a.m., Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency, Chiyoda, Tokyo _

Light took his usual seat in the main room of CI unit with some trepidation. He had been fortunate enough in his short but impressive career to have been given a great deal of leeway in his investigatory procedure; he was not, however, so foolish as to believe that this leniency had nothing to do with his father's influence and reputation despite his genius. Regardless of reason, Light was used to running his cases _his_ way, with near autonomy. A furrow began to develop in his brow. L was used to the same and more, as he had essentially complete control over the world's police forces once called in on a case. Contradicting L or questioning his authority could be disastrous for Light's career, yet he knew his pride would become a major issue here. The furrow grew deeper as Watari began to fiddle with a complex-looking laptop set-up and the other detectives sat up straighter, adjusting ties and jackets like a group of schoolboys confronted by their headmaster. _The hell with it._ Light would not be talked down to or brushed aside by a letter on a screen, no matter what the consequence. His career would certainly never advance to the level he most desired if he lost all self-respect, either.

Soichiro shot Light a warning look out of the corner of his eye as the screen in front of them came to life. Either his father had developed telepathy, or Light's irritation was showing through. He fought a scowl with some difficulty. Ever since Light had discovered that he was being watched, his emotions were leaking through his impassive mask far more frequently. He would have to guard himself carefully here, in the presence of his greatest rival. Even if that rival had no idea he existed. _Yet, _he told himself.

"Good morning, gentlemen."

The voice that issued from the laptop's speakers was computer-disguised, of course. Light recognized the program- it not only distorted the speaker's voice but also tripled it, projecting each version in a different octave. _Not bad._

"Good morning, L. If I may get right to the point, when were you called in on this case? We learned of this homicide at 0459 this morning, a mere two minutes after the body was discovered. Further, we have determined that the murder must have happened between the hours of 0200 and 0430. We arrived on-scene at 0515. Your operative was on-scene just two hours later".

Light was slightly impressed. Despite his subtle reign-in on him, his father seemed to have no compunction expressing his annoyance at the change in jurisdiction. _Yes, well your father also has twenty-five years on the force and a much higher rank than you do_. Despite the clear violation of usual Japanese politeness, the laptop chuckled robotically.

"I had a prior warning, if you will, Yagami-san. You see, our perpetrator sent me a letter via the Hong Kong branch of Interpol yesterday, delineating that his crime would occur in Tokyo" L replied easily. "Further, he indicated that he would ensure that I was in position to take the case. I was en-route to Narita before the homicide even occurred, and my operatives here in Japan were monitoring police radio correspondence to locate the incident as soon as possible".

An uneasy murmur went through the group. If this murder was just to get L's attention, then clearly there was no way that they would be allowed to stay on-case. Light found the words spilling from his mouth before he could stop himself.

"Clearly this perpetrator is extremely familiar with your work, since he chose the British Ambassador as his target. After all, over 40 percent of your total career cases have been for the British government". Light wished he could physically reach out and snatch the words back. _Way to make yourself look creepily obsessed in front of the one person whose professional ass you want to kick, dummy. _

A long pause from the laptop speakers. Light was uncomfortably aware of Matsu mumbling "Dumbass" from behind his hand.

"I'm rather flattered that Yagami-kun is so knowledgeable on my career. Of course, I know all about his. Even his 'modeling career', so to speak". Even disguised, there was no missing the mocking tone of L's voice. Light felt a flush creep up his neck and his throat close. He reigned in his emotions with difficulty; losing his temper would not win him his dignity back. Instead, he reached for his usual weapon in such circumstance- sarcasm.

"I was unaware that someone as prestigious as yourself was so versed in the periodical releases targeting teenage girls. Of course, I'm sure you just read them for research" Light snarked, leaning back in his chair imperiously and folding his arms over his chest.

"Raito…" his father warned, clenching his teeth. It didn't seem to matter. A full laugh echoed weirdly through the speakers.

"Touché, Yagami-kun. Touché. Of course, he is correct in the murderer's motives. A case involving a British government official of such rank would, of course, result in my being contacted immediately. The manner in which I was contacted by this criminal was, to say the least, unorthodox. I must know if any communication was discovered on or near the body, as well".

Light felt a sudden surge in his chest. Perhaps he was becoming ill? He shook his head slightly to clear it, and then addressed the screen again.

"A letter, found over the victim's chest wound. We don't have a translation yet, but from the morphology and arrangement of the symbols, I believe it to be written in some type of runes" Light replied, turning to his father. "How are we on the translation, by the way?"

Soichiro sighed. "Awful. Something about not being set up for anything but current languages."

"Watari, please have the letter and the envelope scanned and e-faxed. M has set up a translation algorithm from the letter sent to me" L said briskly. Watari made a swift phone call while the disembodied voice continued. "In the meantime, the original letter was indeed comprised of runes- a very astute deduction, Yagami-kun. Old Norse runes, to be exact". There was a slight pause, and a letter very similar to that in evidence popped up on the large plasma screen on the wall. Soichiro's cough of protest was largely ignored.

"Yes, you'll have to excuse the hacking of your system, Yagami-san, but this is rather important. This is the original letter I was sent, and this-"the symbols wavered, to be replaced by neat English text, "is the translation. I am sorry it is not in Japanese, but I fear the rhythm of the language would be lost by doing so".

"It's a poem? At least, the first part is" Light speculated, squinting slightly at the screen. "Let's see…it certainly sounds ominous, L."

"Indeed. Perhaps Yagami-kun could translate, as his colleagues seem a bit English-challenged".

"Quite". Light concentrated for a moment, struggling to keep the meaning of the words.

"I saw there wading | through rivers wild  
Treacherous men | and murderers too,  
And workers of ill | with the wives of men;  
There Nidhogg sucked | the blood of the slain,  
And the wolf tore men; | would ye know yet more?"

Light glanced up at the laptop. "It sounds like prophecy, and I could swear that I've heard the name 'Nidhogg' before."

"Nidhogg the Corpse-Tearer was the giant worm who gnawed at the roots of the world-tree Yggdrasil in Norse mythology. The passage is a stanza from the poem '_Völuspá_', wherein Odin, leader of the gods, calls up a priestess to tell him the future. The entire work is rather long, but it details both the beginning and ending of the world. This piece speaks of the latter, specifically".

"Ragnarok, correct?" Light replied, his accent a bit thick over the foreign word. "It's a concept that has been used in manga and anime before. But the rest of that letter isn't arranged the same way…"

"No" L replied. "The rest is an invitation by our genial adversary to join the fray. Ah! It looks as though your piece of the puzzle is written in the same runes, as expected, and is another stanza of the poem:

Brothers shall fight | and fell each other,  
And sisters' sons | shall kinship stain;

Hard is it on earth, | with mighty whoredom;  
Axe-time, sword-time, | shields are sundered,  
Wind-time, wolf-time, | ere the world falls;  
Nor ever shall men | each other spare.

Then below, by itself, the repeat of the priestess' taunt to Odin: Would ye know yet more?"

Light clenched his fists so hard the knuckles turned stark-white. "So, your piece and our piece together imply that the signs of the end of the world are coming and that our perp is in fact causing some or all of them".

"Correct again, Yagami-kun. But the rest of my letter is the most interesting, and the reason I chose the group of you as my contact team rather than proceeding completely on my own, with my own team. It is clear that our man considers himself to be Loki, the fire-giant who instigated Ragnarok and led armies against the gods". L seemed to draw a deep breath before continuing.

"To you, aLfodur, who dispenses Justice from Hlidskialf on high-

The time is here of Wolves and of Wind, the age of fimbul-winter already set in-

Midgard is falling to chaos and ruin, the Wolves devour the sun and the moon-

We monsters escaped from prisons of stone, though serpents' venom for I alone-

The city of Edo the jotunn beheld, those who would serve Asgard in it be felled-

The Doom of the Gods I bring thee anon, while Huginn and Muninn can on'y look on-

And Heimdall down before Bifrost's gate, the host of the Aesir will come to their fate-

No matter the Beautiful One at your side, Balder's death shall in fact be my guide-

To see you thrown down afore Fenrir's maw, yet this time not avenged by Vidar-

New Ragnarok comes and with it your fall, true Justice served this time for all".

A stunned silence followed the reading, as the other detectives tried to puzzle their way through the English phrasing and Light considered. _Obviously, this man is challenging L; was perhaps even imprisoned by him, though that is only implied. Yet he said we were chosen because of this passage. Asgard was the home of the gods, I think, which he seems to equate with L and "justice". He did mention that those who serve the gods would be killed, but that doesn't refer to our group specifically, and may even refer simply to the type of target he will go after in his little killing spree. There are many names mentioned, but I can't remember enough about Norse mythology to know who…_

"It would seem that the answer is not immediately forthcoming, though Yagami-kun will have smoke come out his ears if he thinks any harder. No doubt he has already deduced that I have been challenged, that Tokyo is the field of battle chosen, and that those who serve 'justice' will be targeted as his victims, a horribly vague term with which he is obviously taunting me", L said, ignoring Light's splutter of indignation at the undignified description. "Allow me to elaborate- Huginn and Muninn were the ravens that reported to Odin on the state of the human world- these refer to my operatives M and N. Heimdall was the guardian of the bridge leading to Asgard, the realm of the gods- this is clearly Watari. The worrying reference is that of Balder, the god whose death sparked the chain reaction that led to Ragnarok".

"As much as you appear to enjoy flaunting the knowledge you probably Googled this morning, it would be lovely if you would arrive at your point sometime before the next murder" Light retorted, uncrossing and recrossing his legs gracefully, an attempt to hide the icy feeling spreading through his veins.

"Yagami-kun is terribly rude" L sighed, somehow managing to make a robotic voice sound _forlorn_. "I thought it would be apparent to him who is meant to be Balder, the Beautiful One, in this scenario".

Light, already beginning a witty riposte, stopped short. "You can't be serious…"

"I am always serious about such things, Yagami-kun" was the sharp reply. "As your knowledge in this area is incomplete, let me enlighten you further- Balder was not only the most beloved of the gods, previously referred to by our 'Loki' as 'justice', but was also a god of _light_".

Light's mind fragmented then, mirroring the shattering sound of a mug hitting porcelain tile. His head turned jerkily, eyes meeting his father's horrified ones over the sea of the Chief's spilled coffee.

"You can't mean that this killer is planning on targeting Raito?" Soichiro's usually steady voice wavered. "It must be one of your other operatives, it _can't_ be my son."

"I am afraid it is, Yagami-san. Loki wishes to crown his killings with Yagami-kun's death, a death that would shock and enrage the Gods of Justice. As such, Yagami-kun is to be taken into protective custody for the remainder of the investigation" L replied calmly.

"WHAT?" Light's rage was enough to rip through his stupor like it was rice paper. He leapt to his feet, fists trembling at his sides, with eyes that flashed umber fire. "I am an officer of the law, not a helpless child. I will not be shunted out of this investigation and into seclusion simply because some lunatic has chosen me as a target. I have been a target before, L, and I'm still here while those who tried to bring me down are rotting in prison. I REFUSE!"

"Calm yourself, Yagami-kun!" L snapped. "I am not removing you from the investigation completely. Rather the opposite. I am simply removing you from the front lines, as it were."

Matsu had, by this time, grabbed Light around the waist and manipulated him back into his seat. He kept his hands at his younger partner's shoulders, murmuring a low steam of calming words in his ears. Light's vision was clearing from its red haze, but his blood still thundered in his ears like the ocean in a typhoon.

"I assure you that I can take care of myself. I am not only a crack shot, but am also proficient in judo and aikido and have excellent instincts" Light protested. "I repeat, I will not…"

"Yagami-kun WILL do as he is told if he wishes to remain on the case at all!" L's computer program was not good enough to disguise the detective's heavy breathing. Apparently Light was not the only genius with a temper in the room. "My jurisdiction in this case is absolute, and I certainly have the power to remove Yagami-kun to a cell if he continues in this childish manner".

"You son of a…"

"Yagami-kun should watch his mouth, lest I wash it out with soap" L interrupted handily. "He will be escorted to the hotel that will become the headquarters of this investigation by Watari and another of my associates, where he will be staying until the murderer is apprehended. I have already received permission from Commissioner-General Nakamura to have Yagami-kun seconded to me for the duration of the case…"

"WHAT?"

"…and Watari will liaise with the rest of you on your specific duties. May I suggest that you all take the remainder of the day to spend with your families, as you will be undoubtedly seeing very little of them in the weeks to follow? Watari will meet you here at 0800 tomorrow to delineate tasks and issue communications equipment. Thank you, gentlemen. That will be all".

L's letter disappeared abruptly from the computer screen, leaving a stunned batch of detectives to try and calm a now-hyperventilating Light. As Watari packed up the equipment and Soichiro attempted to reassure his son, the door creaked open and a most unusual figure slouched in.

"Pardon me, but I am here to collect Light-kun for the trip to the hotel."

The man's voice was a deep monotone, rich and soothing and wholly incongruous with his bizarre appearance. Light's eyes widened as he took the man in- hunched shoulders, whipcord-thin physique, and clothes that Light would consider too shabby to use as cleaning rags. His hair was black as pitch, thick and unruly and cut any-which-way, and his eyes were huge and so dark that the color couldn't be discerned from a distance. Deep bags were engraved under each eye, and the man appeared more than a little discomfited by the scrutiny of so many people. Then his gaze met Light's, and he was absolutely _lost._

That look was devouring; a stare of laser-focus and intense study that Light had only ever seen in a mirror. He had the feeling that this man could read him down to the very soul with those bottomless eyes, and the first pieces of the puzzle that was this case suddenly slotted together in Light's mind. _I see. This is…unusual to say the least._ Light realized suddenly that the silence was becoming uncomfortable, the other detectives gawking at the pair of them staring at each other as though they were a circus act. He found his voice.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name, and rather informally at that, yet I do not know yours."

The corners of thin lips twitched slightly, the half-smile forming on the man's face making the delicate features almost impish. "Light-kun may call me Ryuuzaki."

"Does Ryuuzaki realize that the very phrase he uses to introduce himself practically announces to the entire world 'this is an alias', or is he not-so-charmingly oblivious?" Light responded, fighting the soaring feeling in his chest once more.

Ryuuzaki waved his hand in dismissal. "Of course I do, Light-kun. Everyone who works for L is known to have an alias, so the matter hardly concerns me. Only a fool would assume that someone in my position would give out his true name, something I had assumed from his file that Light-kun was not".

"I am not indeed" Light replied. "I'll also have you know that I do not care to be _collected_ as though I were baggage, and that _if_ I am to be relocating, I will need to go to my apartment and pack, as well as contact several people to notify them of my absence".

Ryuuzaki shook his head, rummaging in his seemingly-cavernous pockets and withdrawing a lollipop, which he unwrapped and popped into his mouth. "No need, Light-kun. M and N collected your belongings this morning, took them ahead to the hotel, and made all necessary arrangements. Also," he continued as he slipped another item out of his pocket, "I was instructed to ensure Light-kun's cooperation".

A lightning fast movement, and Light's feet were swept out from under him by a low kick, a flash of silver speeding through the air before he heard the heavy 'click' of a handcuff around his wrist. Light regained his balance quickly, grabbing Ryuuzaki's arm for Ippon Seoinage, when he noticed that not only had he been cradled and prevented from hitting the ground, but that Ryuuzaki's wrist was adorned with the second cuff in the set. Clenching his teeth, Light released his opponent.

"A smart move, Light-kun, as that throw would put us _both_ on the ground" Ryuuzaki commented cheerfully. "Excellent form, though. What _dan_ has Light-kun achieved?"

"Eighth" Light replied tersely, now flat-out grinding his molars together. "What the _hells_ do you mean by this, Ryuuzaki?"

"There was an eighty-two percent chance of Light-kun throwing a tantrum and attempting to stall for time before accompanying me to headquarters, and a sixty-three percent chance that he would do so through physical violence upon my person" Ryuuzaki said blithely. "The handcuffs neatly sidestep that issue. Now come along Light-kun, we do not have all day".

The other detectives, and in fact the whole of the NPA headquarters, were treated to a blistering string of curses in four different languages as Yagami Light, paragon of justice, was dragged through the hallways and veritably shoved into a waiting limousine. _Well_, Light mused, staring sourly at the cold metal encircling his left wrist, _I certainly can't complain of boredom. _


	4. Codex Regius

_Author's Note:_

_Apologies to H.M. Ambassador David Warren, for his unprovoked murder. This will be a transitional chapter, going from pre-investigation to the formation of the Loki taskforce, as it were. The true action will pick back up in the next chapter. _

_Thanks again to my reviewers- you've all been wonderful! In particular, I would like to send out heartfelt thanks to __**E.S. and Sanguivore**__ for your very detailed words of encouragement and praise. Arigato gozaimasu. _

_If anyone has noticed, I like to slip in something small from DN canon into each chapter, if possible. Virtual pocky to anyone who can spot them! The first box goes to __**palebones**__, for noticing the handcuffs. _

_Light's judo forms are Kudokan judo. His "dan" in the last chapter referred to his skill level. In Japan, the black-belt ranks in judo are called dan; the highest rank given is tenth dan, though there are only 15 ten-dans in the history of Kudokan judo. At eight-dan, Light is kind of a bad-ass. _

_L's Tokyo headquarters is the top three suites of the Peninsula Hotel, a very real and gorgeous place._

_I hope that no one is offended by my descriptions of Asperger's Syndrome, or my characterization of those with the disorder as odd or weird. Like my L, I have AS and was known as "that creepy smart girl who talks like she ate a dictionary". Like my Light-kun, I also have OCD. My husband has a condition I like to call "sainthood" for putting up with it all._

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did._

**Chapter Three: Codex Regius**

.

_1 October, 2010: 9:30am, en route to Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

_._

He was eating again. Ryuuzaki had devoured his lollipop in the scant five minutes it had taken to manhandle Light through the corridors of the NPA headquarters and into the limousine, and had started in on a new array of sweets as soon as he entered the car. Light simply stared at the man as he cheerfully plowed his way through a box of strawberry mochi while crouching on the plush seat like a spider monkey. He seemed content to ignore Light completely, despite the fact that his right hand was chained a mere three inches from Light's left, causing the latter to dangle in mid-air between them. Light frowned at this disregard, but his mind was still carefully cataloguing all that he saw.

_The way he sits, hunched in as if protecting himself. The discomfort he showed with social interaction, his oddly pedantic speech and strange intonation, his seeming obliviousness and lack of empathy for my irritation or discomfort. All of these are warning signs of Asperger's Syndrome, though it would take a much more in-depth study of his behaviors to know for sure. AS does fit with the rest of the profile that I had begun on him, though._

Light was jarred from his thoughts by the abrupt intrusion of Ryuuzaki's face in his vision, so close their noses nearly touched and eye contact was enforced. _Of course, the staring and apparent naiveté of social norms fits too._ Light shifted back slightly, uncomfortable with the gentle current of the other man's breath across his lips. _Gray. I hadn't noticed until we were this close, but those eyes are dark gray, like the ocean before a storm. Such an unusual color; beautiful really. I suppose that it is a bit ironic that his eyes should be that shade, considering that I have remade my life around the philosophy of "gray" morality._

"Was there something?" Light made sure his voice sounded bored and unaffected, though the situation was hardly normal. The impish smile returned, and Ryuuzaki moved back out of Light's personal space to snag another mochi.

"Light-kun was thinking hard again, but not about the case. What is he pondering, I wonder?"

"Light-kun was thinking that it was exceptionally rude to allow perfect strangers to rifle through his apartment without his permission, particularly since said intrusion assumed his cooperation in a restrictive measure of which he had not yet been informed," Light replied tartly. If Ryuuzaki wanted to play this game, Light would most certainly respond in kind.

Ryuuzaki's hairline shifted upwards in what Light supposed was a rising of hidden eyebrows. "Light-kun assumes that he had a say in this matter. I assure you, he did not. Therefore, Light-kun should behave himself. Our employer would be most displeased should I have to resort to more drastic measures to ensure Light-kun's cooperation." He lifted another mochi to his mouth, using only an odd, pincer-like grip with his thumb and index finger. When he spoke again, it was around a mouthful of sweets, a habit that caused Light's OCD to twinge. "Not that I did not rather enjoy the scuffle, Light-kun. I have never had the opportunity to spar with a judoka before. Perhaps we could have a match? The suites at the hotel have a mini-gym."

"I doubt you are up to my level, Ryuuzaki." Light allowed a condescending smirk to grace his lips, his usual cover for a lie of that magnitude. In truth, Ryuuzaki's speed and grace had surprised him completely, something which _never_ happened to Light; he knew better than to underestimate an opponent, particularly this one. In fact, it had all happened so quickly that Light wasn't even sure what type of martial arts Ryuuzaki practiced. The grin was back again, this time tilting up far enough to crinkle the corners of those luminous eyes.

"Light-kun is a very skilled liar," Ryuuzaki said admiringly. "As good as I am, perhaps. No, Light-kun, I believe it would be you who was not up to par, though our disciplines are so different that it is difficult to gauge".

"And what discipline is that, Ryuuzaki? I was not familiar with the moves you employed," Light allowed, conceding a mental point to the man for his insight.

"Capoeira, Light-kun. It is more of a combination of dance, martial art, and sport, though. Trickery and surprise are considered key elements to a 'jugo', or match." Ryuuzaki's monotone lifted slightly, his interest clear. "A capoeirista's true skill is often gauged by his ability to perform the Meia-Lua de Compasso, or 'half-moon compass kick', a move which only the most advanced and flexible of practitioners can employ without the use of hands to brace the body".

"By which you are, of course, informing me that you yourself are capable of this move and thus a master of the discipline?"

"Of course, Light-kun."

"I accept, then" Light replied, smiling himself. "A match would be…interesting".

"Excellent. Now, Light-kun, when we arrive at the hotel we will be using the back emergency staircase to ascend to the penthouse. We certainly cannot afford to be less than circumspect in our actions. Light-kun will also be meeting M and N upon arrival, though L himself will remain at a remote location for security's sake."

Ryuuzaki really was very good, Light decided. There was not a single note of insincerity in the recitation, and if he had been dealing with _anyone_ else it would have been swallowed whole. Light, however, was versed in the two-truths-and-a-lie philosophy. _Mix two parts truth with one part lie, Raito, and they'll drink the whole thing down_; it was rather ironic that this duplicitous yet practical advice was given to him as a legacy of his single sincere romantic relationship. It was a brief, secretive, and enlightening affair with an FBI agent on three-month assignment in Japan, with the exotic codename of "Gevanni". Stephen Loud was usually involved in deep undercover work, and had given Light tricks of the trade in exchange for assistance on his case. Of course, that was hardly the _only_ thing the two had exchanged. Light fought a warm blush at the memory. _This is hardly the time for that. It __**is**__ time to end this little charade, and show him who he's dealing with here._

"Oh, I've already met M," Light drawled, watching pedestrians through the window as though the conversation bored him immensely. "Well, to be fair, it _could_ have been N, but from records of previous activity of those two operatives, I am reasonably sure of my deduction."

"Really." Ryuuzaki's voice was flat again, a glance out of the corner of his eye showing Light that the man's thumb had drifted to his lips. "What makes Light-kun think that, precisely?"

Light sighed, affecting annoyance at having to explain as though to a dim-witted child. "M and N were sent to my apartment to collect my things. Considering that I left my apartment at 0530 and you informed me my belongings were already en route at 0830, one or both of them would have to have been familiar with my apartment to accomplish such a feat, particularly with morning traffic. For the past two weeks I have been under rather pathetically obvious surveillance by a young blonde foreigner, a foreigner who was conveniently among the painters that I had in to update my apartment. A perusal of my personal effects after the work was completed left me feeling as though something was off slightly, though I could not say exactly what. In our one personal interaction, said blonde spoke to me entirely in English with no indication that he considered I would not understand him. He also," Light trailed off, scowling slightly. "was more than somewhat blatant in his perusal of my person at that time. You should probably attempt to teach him subtlety, or at least that such forwardness between men is not considered acceptable outside of Shinjuku-Nichome." A pause. "Hell, I'm not entirely certain that level of horrid pick-up line is acceptable even _in_ Nichome district."

"Even _if_ I were to concede that Light-kun's deduction were correct, why would he suggest that I would have anything to do with M's instruction, in matters of behavior or otherwise?" Ryuuzaki's eyes were wide and innocent, but Light knew that game too and had played it better than the raven ever could.

"Though not usually my style, working together will be much easier if we cut straight through all the bullshit here, wouldn't it…L?"

Light jerked his wrist towards himself, causing Ryuuzaki to tip to his knees on the seat, forehead nearly colliding with Light's own from the force employed. Light had to give the man credit, as his expression didn't so much as crack. His eyes, however, were a different story and the reason that Light had overlapped their personal space once again. In those fathomless depths, Ryuuzaki could not lie. Light saw it all there as though written in neon- surprise, alarm, anger, and yes…approval and pride. _He wants a challenge as much as I do, or more._

"What makes Light-kun think that, precisely?" Ryuuzaki repeated, refusing to budge from the strangely intimate position Light had forced them into. He moved closer yet, the end of his up-tilted nose brushing Light's own and strawberry-scented breath filling the air between. "After all, Light-kun and I have only been acquainted for an hour and that is a very large assumption, particularly considering that L is infamous for never showing himself to anyone."

Light fought against the urge to close his eyes to shut out the intensity of those before him. This question was _important_ to Ryuuzaki beyond protection of his identity. As one who kept his own nature hidden behind masks of a different type, Light understood completely what he was really asking; _How did you see me? _His heart hammered in his chest, a lightness fuzzing his brain and making him dizzy. What escaped his treacherous lips was not the answer he had carefully prepared in his mind or to the question asked aloud, but a response to the question in those eyes.

"How could I not see you?"

Ryuuzaki exhaled hard against his mouth in surprise, eyes widening to expose more of those stormy irises. Light's eyelids did slide closed then, the sheer immensity of what lay between them pressing in like a blanket. Ryuuzaki's voice was low and shaky when he finally responded.

"Light, you…"

The abrupt halt of the limousine's forward movement broke the spell, unbalancing Ryuuzaki enough to dump him to the floor at Light's feet.

"It appears we have arrived at our destination, Light-kun. Follow me." The voice was all-business once more, cool and detached as Ryuuzaki slid towards the door of the car. "This discussion is not by any means finished, however."

Light slid a careful hand through his hair as he, too, moved to the door. Just as Ryuuzaki laid his hand on the handle, however, Light tugged the handcuffs.

"What is it, Light-kun?"

Ryuuzaki did not turn around to look at him, but Light could sense the fragility of the moment. It didn't matter; he had to know for certain.

"I _am_ right, am I not?"

A fleeting half-laugh, half-choke was his only response, until…

"Of course you are."

.

.

_1 October, 2010: 10 a.m., Penthouse Suite of the Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

.

Light was unsure if he had ever met a more enduring silence than the one that sprang up between L and himself over the last half hour. Granted most of that time had been spent sneaking around the hotel's security cameras with a cell-phone jamming device and clambering up twenty-three flights of emergency stairs single-file with their wrists stretched painfully between, but _still_. L now stood awkwardly at the door to the Peninsula Suite, fumbling with his key-card.

"Light-kun…"

A loud thump echoed from behind the thick beech wood door, making L frown and swipe the key with more force than necessary.

"What now?" he muttered, slouching through the entryway pulling Light behind him like an over-sized charm bracelet. The sight of two young boys grappling on the floor while a third leant against the wall playing video games (and occasionally critiquing the fight) was apparently nothing new to the detective. L sighed, rubbing his temple with his free left hand. "It is times like this that I wish I had taken up drinking."

Light snorted in response, causing the combatants to freeze mid-roll and stare. The one underneath was familiar- the lithe blonde stalker Light now knew to be M. His fist was clenched in the blindingly white top of the pale child seated on his hips with his forearm laid over his opponent's throat in a choke-hold. The third figure in the room never even glanced up from his handheld, the cheerful music emanating from the speakers in direct contrast to the happenings in front of him.

"Yo, Ryuuzaki," the gamer greeted. "Mello and Near were just having a philosophical discussion on the finer points of property ownership. I'm sure they'll be done in a sec."

"Is that what they're calling 'fighting over stolen chocolate and/or robots' these days?" L drawled, ignoring the rather spirited protests from the floor. "Aren't you boys getting a bit old for this?"

The smaller of the fighters, who Light judged to be 'Near' (and most probably, N) had levered himself to his feet and was rather sheepishly dusting off his clothing. The boy was dressed head to toe in white, and _pajamas_ no less. His skin was milk-pale like L's, and the hair being nervously twirled between delicate fingers like new-fallen snow. Were it not for the huge dark eyes boring into his own, Light might have thought the boy an albino.

"I am sorry for my untoward behavior, but truly this altercation was Mello's doing" he mumbled, speaking to L but focusing intently on Light. "Greetings, Detective. I am sorry to meet you under such unusual circumstances. You may call me Near." The greeting was delivered in perfect Japanese.

"Not at all. Yagami Light, a pleasure to meet you." Light gave the boy a small, polite bow; no sense in dispensing with his own manners simply because he had stepped into a madhouse. Mello had also returned to his feet, though Light was a bit horrified to discover that when left to his own devices, the boy apparently dressed himself in skin-tight, midriff-baring black leather.

"Hey again, bishounen. Long time no see." Ah, back to English, then. A quick glance down at L and Light's conjoined wrists widened the blue-green eyes slightly, though a grin stretched across his lips. "I didn't know you were an aficionado. We've got plenty of restraints in my suite downstairs, I'd be more than happy to help you _get acquainted_ with their use."

Light's lips twisted into a slight smirk. "I don't think you could keep up, kid" he returned in lightly accented English. "Or should I call you M?"

"Very good, cutie" Mello laughed. "Though not completely accurate. I'm only half of the unit designated 'M'. You can call me Mello. The other half of 'M' is that loser in the goggles."

"The better half" was the irritated grumble from Mello's partner. The boy paused his game and lifted a pair of orange-tinted goggles from his eyes. He was around the same height as Mello, Light noted, though a bit heavier. He was fair-skinned too, with deep red hair and lively hazel eyes. He was also wearing one of the most ridiculous outfits Light had ever seen, including Mello's- heavy knee-high buckled boots, tight cargo jeans, a black-and-white striped shirt, and a shearling vest. Indoors. In October. _Definitely a mad house_.

"Name's Matt," the boy offered, holding a hand out to Light. He shook it awkwardly, having to reach around L to do so. "The smarter, sexier half of team M. And you're Kira."

Light stiffened abruptly. _How in the hells does this kid know that?_ On the other side of him, L and Mello both frowned.

"Kira?" Mello asked. "As in, Japanese cop-hacker that almost busted your ass on the Yotsuba job?"

Matt nodded, grinning unabashedly at Light. "Key word being _almost_. Closest anyone's ever gotten to snagging me. I should be pissed, but I admire your technique. Very classy, if a bit old-school."

"Was Matt planning on sharing this information at any juncture?" L sounded peeved.

"Didn't I mention?" Matt shrugged. "I suppose I assumed you guys caught on when we found deviously booby-trapped hacking paraphernalia in the dude's apartment."

A quick, delighted glance was shot his way that made Light almost proud of his paranoia, for once. "_You're _Red13?"

"True that," Matt replied easily. "By the way, that was a sweet-ass setup. Seriously twisted. Mels probably would've blown up the desk if Near hadn't figured out the trap. And your steganography? First rate. If we weren't trained by L, we never would have found _your_ dirt."

Light's mouth opened and closed, his cheeks flushing. He wasn't sure quite what to say to that. L was staring at him in blatant fascination, and all Light could think was- _he knows. He knows I've been following his career obsessively, knew before this case ever came up. _A dark look passed across his face. The boys had been in his apartment over two weeks ago. Tossing someone's living space was not the first line of observation, even for someone as unorthodox as L. _That means he's been following me personally, and for far longer than I knew. That utter bastard! _Light was unsure whether his anger came from the invasion of his privacy, or from the fact that L had one-upped him in terms of sheer, insane obsession. 

"Light-kun is Kira then? Fascinating. How is it that Light-kun came to be the NPA's anonymous contract-hacker without anyone being the wiser, I wonder? Though, I suppose that does explain how he was able to afford an apartment in Higashi district on his salary."

"Light-kun" he replied sarcastically, "does not feel at all inclined to divulge his personal business to someone who has invaded his privacy and circumvented all legal avenues to superintend an officer of the law who was suspected of no crime!"

L flinched in surprise, actually backing up a step when Light advanced, shaking their bonded wrists in emphasis.

"He also is disinclined to acquiesce to any request made by a man who uses coercion to enforce his unreasonable demands regarding the nature of said officer's ability to adequately protect himself or perform his duty" Light continued, narrowed eyes darkening to a dangerous crimson. His rage was nearly intolerable, enough so that Light actually forgot a pertinent detail of his situation. Grabbing L's left arm in both hands, Light lowered his right shoulder and hurled L over it in a Seoi Nage throw. The technique was perfect, except that Light's left hand was still attached to L's right; Light himself was yanked into a somersault over L's prone body by the inertia of the spin. "Shit!" Light managed to drag himself to his feet with little difficulty, but L was faster.

L had rolled over as soon as his body touched ground, bracing his palms on the floor and swinging his back foot around himself then straight up as he stood, his heel catching Light's chin just as he rose. Light was flung backwards in an arch, his outstretched arms pulling L along for the ride as well. They tumbled to the floor in a tangle of limbs, recovering almost immediately and snagging each other's shirtfronts with their bound hands. Simultaneous punches to the jaw sent them in opposing directions, though they were snapped back together by the unyielding metal connecting their arms. The men actually bumped foreheads as they fell to the carpet, rolling onto their backs and panting heavily. Silence reigned for a moment, but only a moment.

"That was _boss_" Matt breathed. Light swore he heard a ringing high-five, probably delivered to Mello, and a mumble of "hypocrite" that was clearly Near.

"He actually took you by surprise, Ryuuzaki" Mello chirped, hanging his head over the disheveled pair and snapping off a bite from an enormous bar of dark chocolate. "Didn't think anyone could actually do that."

"Mello can stop using that alias" L said, attempting to suppress a wince as he touched two fingers from his left hand to his split lip. "Light-kun is aware of my identity."

"You TOLD HIM? What the fuck, L?"

"I bet he figured it out on his own, Mels" Matt replied. "Otherwise L wouldn't be so hilariously off his game." He smiled at Light, flipping him a thumbs-up from the side of his console. "It took me three damn days to figure out who he was when I first met him six years ago, and these losers five and a half. Third place, my sweet ass."

The front door to the suite swung open dangerously, missing L's head by a mere three inches. An elderly gentleman with a heavy mustache and a trench coat under his arm nearly tripped trying to avoid the sprawled mess of detective at his feet. A disapproving look was sent over half-moon spectacles at the sight.

"Honestly, you're like _children_. First you bicker all the way here in the car, then you play the 'if I don't talk to him, he doesn't exist' game, and now a fistfight? All within an hour and a half of meeting one another?"

Light and L exchanged a guilty glance.

"I believe we are being scolded, Light-kun."

Against his will, the corners of Light's mouth twitched, exacerbating the ache in his jaw. "Apparently so. I fear we shall be sent to bed with no dessert."

"You'll both be sent to bed with a good spanking, if you don't watch your mouths" Watari sniffed, stepping imperiously over the two geniuses and heading for the suite's kitchen. "I'm going to make some tea, and if a certain trio of brats knows what is good for them, they will return to their own suite and finish setting up the communications equipment for tomorrow."

"Yes, Watari" the boys chorused, a bit sullen. As they trudged single file from the suite, Near offered a slight bow to Light in farewell. Mello threw him a lascivious wink and a mouthed "call me" while Matt physically pushed his companion out the door.

Left abruptly alone with the World's Greatest Detective, Light felt something he had not experienced since childhood- guilt and remorse.

"I'm…sorry that I escalated the argument to physical violence," he said stiffly, uncomfortable. L sat up, cracking his back loudly and wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand.

"That sounded difficult."

"Listen, you pompous…"

"I am also sorry." L's interruption was barely heard, the sound swallowed up by the awkwardness that hung around them in the wake of their fight. "For restraining Light-kun, and for assuming that he would be unreasonable about his need for protection in this case." The impish smile returned, though it was somewhat less effective considering L's rapidly swelling lower lip. "I am _not_ sorry for kicking Light-kun in the face. After all, once is once."

Light sighed. "All right." He smiled a little as L rummaged in his pockets and retrieved the handcuff key; unsurprisingly their removal left a raw, red ring of skin in their wake. Light rubbed the mark pensively, wondering if their truce was too fragile for what he wanted to say. "How long, L? How long have you been watching me?"

L stood, his posture once more hunched and defensive. He did not look at Light. "Near to nine months now. Since January, when I became aware of the reason I no longer received cases from Japan."

"Nine months?" Light could hardly grasp the enormity of that statement. _For the better part of a year, everything I've done has been scrutinized and taken apart by this…this…oddity? How could I even hold the attention of someone like L for that long? My life is boring to the core; surely he must have seen that._

"Light-kun has followed my career with near-equal obsession. He should be well aware that I do not take well to competition," L said, thumb at his lips again. "After all, you ascertained that Eraldo Coil is one of my aliases, and that I won that alias from the original."

"One of…" Light broke in, startled. A few more pieces clicked into place, and he shook his head. "Damn it all. You're Daneuve too, aren't you?"

"Indeed, Light-kun," L replied, looking a bit pleased and certainly more cheerful. "I dislike losing immensely, a childish trait that we both seem to share, judging from our symmetrical contusions. Coil and Daneuve didn't last long in our little game, but Light-kun…all indications were that Light-kun was frustratingly brilliant." The detective turned back to Light, long bangs shadowing his face. "I had been waiting for a case that would allow me to engage Light-kun directly for some time, if only for the fleeting challenge."

"Fleeting, hell. I can keep up with you any day, L. Defeating you is what I've been working for since…" Light paused, unsure of revealing something so personal. Dark eyes bored into his, asking him to continue without saying a word. Light sighed. "Since I was ten years old, and my father came home with stories about the Great and Mysterious Detective L. It's all I've ever wanted, but I never expected that we'd be so…alike."

"Quite so, Light-kun." L broke off for a moment as Watari brought in a tray laden with a pot of tea, two cups, and a startling array of tiny cakes. "Come, Light-kun. It would be absurd for us to continue lingering in entryways."

L led Light through a large sitting area, furnished with a couch and two chairs in front of an entertainment center. The floors were expensive dark wood, the walls and furniture an array of warm golden tones that set Light at ease immediately. Though decorated European-style, the rooms had a Japanese aesthetic of clean lines and quality materials that relaxed and soothed. Beyond lie another seating group, this one arranged before a truly stunning wall of windows with a panoramic view of Hibiya Park and the Imperial Palace Gardens. L curled himself into one of the club chairs with his feet pulled up to his chest, gesturing at the chair opposite. "Please."

"Thank you."

Watari poured out two cups of tea then tactfully withdrew, leaving Light once again in the sole company of his rival. _At least, I think he is. I can't tell what the hell he thinks of me._

Light sipped his brew carefully, watching over the rim of his cup as L added sugar cubes one after another to his own. _1,2,3…how many is he going to put in there? 9! 9 sugar cubes! That can't possibly classify as tea anymore._

"You're going to get diabetes, if you haven't already" Light said acerbically, unable to keep from sniping at the man.

"As Light-kun should be aware, if one employs his brain properly then even vast quantities of sugar will be completely metabolized by the effort."

Light gaped slightly at this ludicrous statement, wondering just how it could be delivered with such a straight face. Perhaps the man _was_ a better liar than himself.

"You are stunningly and completely full of bullshit," Light scoffed, a bit surprised at the rapidity of his descent into rude vocabulary. Contrarily, L beamed, slurping his tea obnoxiously.

"Thank you, Light-kun!"

"It wasn't a compliment, you ass."

L shrugged. "Coming from Light-kun…"

"Do you _want_ to get thrown again?"

A chuckle from behind porcelain was all Light received in response as L began to put away three persons' worth of sweets.

"I have been remiss in showing Light-kun the suite in which we will be working" L managed around a mouthful of éclair. "Watari has the other suite on this floor, the Marunouichi Suite. It is there that our technical equipment and tactical gear will be stored, and any on-scene operations planned. The boys have the next floor down, the Hibiya Suite. Our server will run from there under Matt's care, and our equipment for communicating with the Japanese team. Light-kun and I will use this suite as the command center, with the dining area holding our computer equipment."

Setting down his cup, L wandered into the other rooms, clearly expecting Light to follow. With a sigh, he left his own empty cup on the table.

"There is a mini-gym, as I stated before, and a full kitchen and pantry. Here we have the study, with a grand piano. Does Light-kun happen to play?" L turned innocent eyes on Light, who snorted.

"As though you didn't know. No, L, I do not play the piano. I'm sure you do, from the superior look in your eyes."

"Light-kun reads me like a book," L returned blithely. "Of course, the study of music is often characteristic of those with genius ability in mathematics, as the disciplines are related. What a shame Light-kun has made no such study."

The goading look on L's face and twinkle in those dark eyes made Light want to laugh and punch him at the same time; it was somehow both endearing and annoying. "L is well aware that Light-kun took _singing_ lessons rather than instrumental lessons."

"Yes, Light-kun does seem to be enamored of the sound of his own voice."

"You…"

"Come along, Light-kun. Look, Near has placed your clothing in the rather ridiculously expansive closet. I am certain that with his attention to detail, it is probably arranged just as Light-kun had in his own. The bathroom is through here; though we will have to share I'm afraid."

"This" Light said, a slight distaste coloring his tone. "Is a ridiculous amount of space. How could it possibly be difficult for us to share a bathroom the size of my apartment?"

"Light-kun is a very private person, from what I have observed of him," L remarked. "This way to the bedroom, Light-kun."

Light followed L into an open space in the corner of the building, windows on two sides framing a king-sized bed. Light looked at the bed, then L, then the bed again. "L? There's only one bed in this suite. It's bigger than my parents' house, and there's _only one bed_."

"Yes, Light-kun. Penthouse suites are not known for their economy. And the single bed will not be a problem."

"Like hell it won't", Light snapped. "_You_ dragged me out of the NPA to basically imprison me here; I am not sleeping on a couch!"

L blinked. "Who said anything about the couch, Light-kun?"

A look of complete incredulity stole onto the brunette's face. "You can't possibly be implying that we'll be sharing the bed…"

"Of course not!" L protested, cheeks taking on a faint pink hue that rather fascinated Light. "I do not sleep; therefore the question of sleeping arrangements is not an issue." L held up a hand to stop Light's immediate protest. "And yes, Light-kun, I am well aware that if I never slept I'd be dead. But as a rather severe insomniac I sleep only in ten to twenty minute intervals, usually sitting at my computer, sporadically throughout any given day. I would estimate that I achieve no more than two hours of sleep per day, at best." His head tilted to the side like a curious cat's. "I would have thought with Light-kun's observational skills, he would have deduced my condition."

"You mean these?" Light reached out and traced the deeply graven lines under L's eyes with one index finger. "Of course I did, I simply didn't realize it was quite so pathological. Of course, with your skin-tone and the way your pupils are consistently dilated I realized that you hardly ever go outside, either, and must keep the rooms darkened so there is less glare from your monitors."

The rose tint on L's cheeks deepened, and Light snatched his hand away guiltily. _What on Earth is wrong with me? I rarely touch people voluntarily._

"Speaking of the monitors, Light-kun, perhaps it is best we get down to work now that I have finished the tour?"

"Of course."

L returned to the dining area, where a bank of monitors and several boxes of files waited. Reaching into the largest box, L withdrew several large leather-bound books and slid them across the mahogany table to Light.

"Light-kun was incorrect in his assessment that I Googled the information on Norse mythology. As a child I was quite fascinated with it, in fact. These volumes cover the basics of the mythos, and detail the events that were said to occur during Ragnarok. The largest tome is the Codex Regius, the Icelandic manuscript containing the Poetic Edda. Our Loki's verses are from one of the poems therein. The slightly smaller work is the Prose Edda. Together, these comprise the vast majority of information on the Norse religion." L shot him a smug grin. "Light-kun should get cracking, if he wishes to familiarize himself with the material by tomorrow's meeting."

"There have to be over a thousand pages here!"

"As I said, Light-kun should get cracking."

Light tried very hard to ignore the satisfied laughter that followed his stream of curses, he really did. He also tried to keep himself from throwing the smallest book at L's head, but even one such as Yagami Light can't be successful _all_ the time.

.

.

_1 October, 2010: 7 p.m._

.

"Will Light-kun tell me how he became Kira now?" L asked over dinner, apropos of nothing. Light paused with his chopsticks half-way to his mouth, causing his udon to slide back into his bowl and splash broth on the table. He sighed. Apparently L did not consider a bruising fistfight to be sufficient reason to drop a subject.

"My father."

L snorted into his slice of mont-blanc. "I rather doubt that such a rigidly upstanding man as Yagami-san would have encouraged his only son to become a quasi-legal hacker who practices tax evasion through hidden income sources."

"It's mostly legal! I know what I'm doing!" Light protested. "That's not what I meant, though. I was…going in a bad way when I started at Todai. I believed the world was a horrible place and that no one was doing anything to truly fix it, that the police were completely ineffectual and good people were suffering. I believed that good and evil were parallel lines-never blurring, never crossing, never merging. People were good or people were evil, and there was no in-between and no one could change. Gods, I was a stupid ass." Light set his chopsticks on the side of his bowl gently, propping his chin in his hand. "I spoke to my father about my frustrations, and he yanked me out of school so fast my head spun."

"Ah. Light-kun's 'internship' with the Tokyo Prefectural Police was a cover for an intervention by Yagami-san, then?"

Light smiled. "Yes. He spent a month showing me how wrong I was, and shades of gray finally entered my life." A wry glance at L. "A much more complex view than strict black-and-white, granted, but more real as well. He saved my life. I have no doubts that with my abilities, such overly rigid idealism could have led to disaster."

L tilted his head again, the tines of his fork still in his mouth as he spoke. _Gods, has no one ever told him talking with your mouth full is a horrid habit?_

"Light-kun was most likely becoming a sociopath. Or at least, developing sociopathic tendencies; there is a great deal of evidence that sociopathy is genetically determined. This does not explain about Kira, however."

"I'm getting to it", Light complained. "Dad told me I needed to loosen up and be a teenager for once- go out and do some stupid, illegal-but-harmless college-kid stuff. I couldn't imagine lowering myself to the indiscriminate drinking and sex that my peers seemed to enjoy, but I knew there were kids on campus that used their computer skills for relatively unsavory ventures. They were a bit incredulous at first that the Top Student wanted to play hacker, but they couldn't argue with my aptitude." Light laughed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms behind his head. "I set up an alias for myself, and jumped in headfirst. I kept to the shallow end of the pool in terms of legality, though. I broke into servers and databases just because I could, but didn't do any damage or steal any information. I earned a reputation for being a smart-ass who just wanted to prove he was better than everyone else, but didn't care about the rewards. I never intended it as anything but a diversion."

"Then how did it evolve into police consulting?" L asked. "Surely Light-kun did not simply hand the Cyber-Crimes unit his business card."

"Hardly." Light snorted. "It was on one of my first cases after I made detective, a series of bank robberies in which the thief teamed up with a hacker to crack vaults and security. The Cyber unit went joint with us on the case, but it became apparent very rapidly that I knew more than they did, not just about code but about how hackers thought and worked. They wouldn't take my advice, because I was just 'that show-off kid of Yagami's'." Light shrugged a little, frowning. "It was irritating. They would rather have let a criminal go free than take advice. So, I set up a fake 'bust', wherein Matsu and I caught Kira red-handed and offered him a deal. Since his crimes were all low-level trespass charges, we agreed to waive them if he would work in consult with the NPA on difficult cases." A grin spread over the brunette's face. "Anonymously, of course. Kira is a model contractor; he always finishes his cases ahead of schedule, keeps his nose clean, and even cuts the NPA quite a deal on rates. Everybody wins."

"Especially Light-kun's pocketbook," L mumbled.

"Light-kun was not keen on living with his parents or finding a roommate," Light replied snippily. "And technically, Kira is _Matsuda's_ source, not mine. I have never stated that I was not, in fact, Kira. Technicality is the soul of the law."

"Light-kun is truly devious" L replied mournfully. "I do not know how I will manage to trust him." The look of delighted approval on his face said otherwise.

"You don't trust anybody but Watari," Light shot back, sipping his tea. "Not even your trio of minions, who you have not trusted to return to this suite without causing havoc."

"They _exist_ to cause havoc, Light-kun; it has nothing to do with trust. And they have not had to mature as quickly as I. I was a solo operative on the international scene at 15. Mello was 15 before he began to work for me as support only, though Matt and Near were 14 and 13 respectively. I admit that in the six years since I have coddled them a bit too much and that none of them have the maturity or skill set to be solo operatives themselves; a worrying fact, considering."

"Considering what?" Light asked, puzzled. "You hate competition, so you'd never allow them to go solo against you and…oh gods. They're _backups._ They're meant to replace you if you die, aren't they?"

"They prefer the term 'successors', Light-kun," L chided. "But yes. As it stands, were I to die in this case, the three of them would have to act in concert as L." L's eyes turned towards Light, and the deep sadness in them struck him to the core. "L is not a man, Light-kun. L is an idea, a symbol of omnipotent justice which must go on even if I do not. The world _needs_ an L." A smile seemed to be born and die on his lips in a single moment. "Of course, that could just be my ego talking."

"No, I understand. I really do understand."

"If anyone could, it would be Light-kun."

.

.

_2 October, 2010: 1 a.m._

.

Light, L mused, was going to be a problem. The great detective stood by the bedroom window, palm on the glass, watching the glittering lights of Tokyo sparkle on the skyline above the velvet darkness that was Hibiya Park. His laptop, perched on the end table of the small sitting area near the bed, bathed the room in an ethereal blue glow that only exacerbated the problem; Light, while beautiful in the bright, cheery light of day, truly shone in the soft yellow glow of the suite's lamps in the twilight and the dim luminescence cast by computer screen and moon. The young officer slept peacefully in the massive bed behind L, prone, limbs splayed as carelessly as a child's. Cinnamon hair lay fanned on the smooth white pillow, framing a face at once relaxed and enigmatic. His even breaths never wavered, the man innocently unaware of his tangle-haired observer. L had a sudden impulse to wake Light up, just to hear that smooth tenor voice.

_Perhaps what I really want is to see that mind of his in action again. To know if his thoughts and deductions will continue to follow mine so very perfectly, _L thought. _He knew me, knew me from the moment our eyes first met, I believe. Could I have done the same, if I had never seen a picture of his face? Yes, I think I could have. It is something in our eyes, a calling of like to like that I have never experienced before even with my successors. _

L's thumb drifted to his lip, rubbing over the still-swollen surface thoughtfully as he remembered their earlier conversation.

"_L?" _

"_Yes, Light-kun?" L replied, glancing over the edge of his laptop screen. Light had not looked up from his reading, one hand marking pages while the other pushed a slick pair of frameless reading glasses up his nose. L wondered why he found those glasses so fascinating; after all, hyperopia was hardly a rare condition. _

"_It has occurred to you, I suppose, that this Loki is most likely a man you have previously imprisoned?" Light said easily. "That much was clear to me from his challenge to you. Further, I have deduced from my readings of Norse mythology that he was probably a moralistic sociopath- one of those psychos that kills because he thinks he is bettering the world, or some such nonsense. His allusions to 'true justice' and even taking the name Loki, who was Odin's former companion and blood brother, indicate this."_

_L blinked hard a few times. "And Light-kun is telling me this because…?"_

_He truly enjoyed the sight of the muscle jumping in Light's jaw as he attempted to control his temper and not grit his teeth. "I was merely attempting to ascertain if you had also come to this conclusion, and whether you were following up on it if you had."_

"_Of course, Light-kun. What __**do**__ you think I've been doing whilst you worked on your homework?" Now, that look truly was amusing. Light's jaw had nearly locked, and his right eye twitched repeatedly. _

"_You absolute ass, I won't be treated like-"_

"_Light-kun should calm down, before he spoils his pretty looks," L quipped lightly, flipping a Hershey's kiss into his mouth and chewing as loudly as he could manage. "I have been researching all of my previous cases in order of criminal intelligence, and having Watari contact the respective prisons to check on the inmates involved. So far, nothing out of the ordinary has turned up."_

"_Nothing?" Light deflated a little, rubbing his temples. "Can you think of no one that this would apply to? This letter is highly personal vengeance, L."_

"_Indeed, Light-kun," L said. "There was one, one that fit perfectly and had a personal vendetta against me like no other, but…"_

"_But?" Light leaned closer, closing his book altogether and piercing L with that golden stare over the rims of his spectacles. L found he inexplicably wanted to tell Light, tell him everything; but that was absolutely impossible. Far too revealing, far too soon, despite the immediate quicksilver connection he felt between them._

"_He is still safely ensconced in the California prison in which I left him. In fact, he has since been relegated to solitary, due to his hostility towards the other inmates and disturbing tendency to play unpleasant mind-games with both prisoner and guard alike."_

_Light appeared to think about this for a moment, leaning back in his chair and flipping the pen in his hand in circles. "Would this 'he' be Beyond Birthday, perhaps? Of the LABB murders?"_

_L started. How on Earth could the boy…of course. He had studied all of L's cases, and with his eidetic memory would be more than able to clearly recall and compare the perpetrators. Light's background was in profiling, so of course he would fit B's personality assessment to that of the one he was preparing on Loki._

"_It is. But as that point is moot and Light-kun appears to be done with his research, perhaps he could tell me what else he has gleaned from our perpetrator's letter?" L deflected Light neatly, seeking to move the conversation from dangerous ground. From the reproving look in Light's eyes, his tactic was understood immediately. Surprisingly, Light did not push the matter._

"_Well, the first few lines suggest that the signs of Ragnarok are apparent in the world already, in a society that has fallen to violence and chaos. He does state with both the phrases 'monsters escaped from prisons of stone' and 'the City of Edo the jotunn beheld' that he is not alone, but has accomplices to aid him. This is further strengthened by his mention of the devouring wolves and Fenrir. So, we can assume that Loki may not be committing the murders himself, or that he has the capability to commit multiple attacks at a time. We aren't looking for just one man." Light sighed, removing his glasses and placing them in the leather case on the table. "I __**hate**__ multiple perps. He also indicates that you and I are not the only ones who will be targeted- the entire task force is probably at risk, considering his references to 'the host of the Aesir' and 'those who serve Asgard'. It is highly possible he will attempt to take out Watari and the boys, should your assessment of their assignations be correct."_

"_All the more reason for us to remain cautious, and work in groups. I do not care for working with others Light-kun; but I admit the necessity in this case." L heaved a huge breath, blowing his bangs out of his face disconsolately. "It is likely we will not be able to solve this case from the hotel alone, Light-kun. That would require putting more of myself on the line than I have in any other case, as I almost never go on-scene. And Light-kun is the most crucial target."_

_Light smiled wryly. "I would rather like to prevent my death. I guess you and I will just have to stay together, then. We both hate working with others, but our minds seem to work in similar ways and we are not only the main targets, but also the ones most capable of solving this case as quickly as possible. Imagine what we could do together?"_

"_If we do not kill one another first, Light-kun," L returned, grinning shyly back at his companion._

"_Yes, there is that." Light laughed, and L felt foreign warmth spread through his chest at the sound. "We're brilliant, L. We can make it work." _

L frowned at the very notion of "making it work"; he was far too set in his ways to perform at his peak in a team environment. L gave orders and those orders were followed; that was how his world worked. Even Quillish only sought to countermand him in matters of his personal health and safety. Yagami Light was used to too much of the same, and had amazingly obvious problems with authority. Despite their respective positions, L knew that Light would not be content to follow his lead and carry out his orders in silence. In fact, "silence" was probably as alien a concept to Light as "fun". Not that L could talk, really, but it did mean that Light would not simply seethe in private while obeying L in public. Rather, he knew that many fights, some physical, would probably develop between them if they did not learn to share leadership.

_Impossible,_ L thought, turning back to the window. _And it is apparent that Light could be real competition in the near future. He'll have to be neutralized as a threat, and this case is the perfect opportunity to do so. But how?_ Light could hardly be beaten in contest as he had with Daneuve and Coil, as he was not a private investigator. Neither was he a criminal whose services could be bought with freedom, as he had with Weddy and Aiber. The only real way to take him out of the race was…to offer him a job. Light's talents exceeded even that of his successors- surely he would become terribly bored working on the everyday cases of the NPA or Interpol for the foreseeable future? The remuneration of such positions was also minimal, and Light did have a noted preference for comfort. That would be the key then- offer him a position that could grant him far more monetary compensation and challenge than the other avenues open to him, and hope that Light jumped at the chance.

_Perhaps he won't notice until too late that would relegate him to the status of my employee permanently. Even if he did, Light is certainly bright enough to realize that he could never compete on his own without having a significantly endowed backer like Quillish. Yes, that is the best solution. Tomorrow I will begin to drop hints on the possibility, and see if I cannot cement our positions further by having __**him**__ suggest the arrangement. _

L grinned under his thumb and settled back down to his laptop and a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Despite his relief at having decided a course of action with Light, L still couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he was ignoring something; some detail that would foul up this neat package irretrievably. A flash of piercing amber eyes appeared behind his gaze for a moment, causing heat to pool in his belly, but he shook his head. He was L, and L never overlooked anything important.

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_2 October, 2010: 3a.m., unknown location, Tokyo_

"My Lord, I have disturbing news."

Loki unwound himself from his seat in the shadows smoothly. Fenrir knelt before him, gaze downcast as was proper. One pale, long-fingered hand was placed on the fame-wolf's head in benediction. "Speak, my son."

"It's Light Yagami, Lord. Yesterday we lost track of him completely, and just a few hours ago our source in Asgard informed us that he has been ceded to Odin for this investigation," Fenrir growled, clearly frustrated. "Hel and I believe that the Alfodur is playing Frigg and attempting to divert the Dying One's destiny."

Loki laughed, the flames of Muspelheim in his voice. "Ah, L. You really are so predictable. Surely you didn't think it would be that easy?"

As the mirth of the mad fire-god rang out through the vaulted chambers of their sanctuary, even his dread children shuddered in fear.


	5. The Devouring

_Author's Note:_

_Sorry about the delay, darlings. The SAT is given in May, and this time of year I am up to my eyeballs in student essay grading. The next chapters will come out much faster._

_To my reviewers, one and all- you have been absolutely marvelous to me. This kind of a response and investment in her characters is what makes a writer get up in the morning. *cries a little* _

_The name of this chapter is inspired by a sign of Ragnarok- the eating of the sun and the moon by monster wolves. _

_Also, check out my DeviantArt page- it's listed as my homepage on my profile. It's a little sparse now, but I currently have my "Ragnarok Playlist", a list of the songs that are on my iPod as the "soundtrack" for this story, and my cover art. I'll be updating those songs with each chapter release. _

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did._

**Chapter Four: The Devouring**

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_2 October, 2010: 6 a.m.- Omotesando District, Shibuya, Tokyo_

Megumi yawned irritably over her morning coffee as she gazed blearily out her window. Hardly a soul was stirring on Aoyama-dori at this time of day, emphasizing that she herself should still be in bed. Unfortunately her flight to Los Angeles was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., and she was damning her agent to every hell known to man for his willingness to book such an obnoxious departure time. This job was going to be a nightmare anyway, she mused sourly; another translation and clean-up for some talentless, flash-in-the-pan American that wanted to take advantage of the huge Tokyo pop music market. It was beneath her, really, as she had been in the business for over fifteen years as a singer, producer, and lyricist. Her agent, however, loved American music and saw an untapped opportunity in bringing those "stars" to Tokyo. Meg snorted into her coffee. American pop hadn't been any good since the late 1980s, and none of the little bastards played an instrument or wrote their own music anymore. The Japanese public, in love with sugary kitsch though they were, could tell the difference.

The buzz of her intercom sounded loudly through the silent apartment, startling Megumi enough that she slopped her drink down her robe.

"Someone's going to die," she mumbled as she stomped to her door, holding her clothes away from her skin to avoid a burn. A puzzled frown furrowed her brow as she saw the empty lobby on her monitor. Perhaps someone had pushed the wrong button? She depressed her own intercom just in case.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Silence. Some drunken salaryman stumbling home from the bars had probably pushed several buttons at once before being let in or finding his key. She turned back towards her kitchen, but dropped her mug onto the tile when she ran face-first into a huge chest. The shattering porcelain neatly covered her single, strangled scream.

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_2 October, 2010: 6:30 a.m.- Hiroo District, Shibuya, Tokyo_

Tsuki fiddled with the armband holding her iPod as she jogged lightly in place at the stoplight. It was a beautiful morning for a run, she decided; crisp and clear but not too cold. The light changed and she set off at a warm-up pace on her way to Arisugawa Park, nimbly dodging a few high school students on the street. The park was her favorite place to jog in the mornings, before the baseball and soccer fields filled up with students. A lovely path ran around a large pond with ducks and koi, past a man-made waterfall where she took her water breaks, and out the other side of the park into Minamiazabu district. There were only a few other enterprising runners like herself who were out at such an early hour, and Tsuki relished the solitude. Kami knew she got little enough of it in her line of work.

Something felt off about today's run, though. There was literally no one that she could see in the entire park, not even the little old man that fed crackers to the ducks every day from one of the stone benches alongside the pond. It was a bit eerie, really. Despite the sweat beading her brow and collecting in the scooped neckline of her racing top, Tsuki shuddered. She jogged a few minutes more, but the feeling of unease only grew. Finally, she heard a welcome sound- another set of pounding feet coming up from behind her. Grateful to see someone else- anyone else- she slowed down and moved to the side of the path to let the other jogger pass by her. The rhythm of the steps slowed too, matching hers. Gathering her courage, Tsuki glanced over her shoulder at the slender young man pacing her steps. He looked harmless, with straight dark hair tied into a short ponytail and an expensive track suit. He even gave her an awkwardly flirtatious smile as he stopped to drink from a water bottle he had strapped to his hip. Reassured, Tsuki continued her run.

Five minutes later, she rounded the curve by the waterfall and glimpsed the young man again. He was _still_ pacing her. Unnerved, Tsuki changed directions and cut through a part of the park that she didn't usually run through; the thick bushes and ferns under dense trees attracted clouds of bugs that a runner couldn't avoid in the warm months. Her speed increased, and so did the beat of the steps behind her. They sounded louder now, closer. In a blind panic, Tsuki broke into a sprint, dashing off the path altogether and darting through the trees in an attempt to make a short-cut to the road near Hiroo Station. She only made it a few feet into the brush before she was yanked off her feet by a heavily muscled arm around her throat.

The young dark-haired runner smiled as he jogged past the broken, rustling bushes, humming under his breath.

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_2 October, 2010- Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

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Light shifted irritably, pulling the comforter tighter around himself. Still in that hazy middle-ground between asleep and awake, he nonetheless was aware of a wrongness about the morning. He was warmer than usual, and his bed seemed ridiculously soft. There was a great deal of light hitting his closed eyelids, heating his right cheek where it lay exposed above the covers. He even thought he smelled coffee brewing, an impossibility since he didn't own a coffee machine. Grumbling, he rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes. Light was even more irritated by having to blow his bangs out of his field of vision as he did so. _It's getting too long again_, he thought to himself. _Misa will be after me if I let it go much longer. _

"Goodness, I thought Light-kun was going to sleep all day. Is he always so lazy in the mornings?"

Light's consciousness finally caught up with him as he jerked abruptly to a sitting position, nearly slamming his forehead into the man crouched like a gargoyle over his prone form. L was hunched in an odd squat over Light's thighs, elbows resting on his knees. _That would explain the feeling of unease_, Light mused.

"Get the hell off me, L," the detective snapped. "This is unbelievably creepy. What were you doing, watching me sleep? I may be forced to share living space with you for the time being, but there are _boundaries_!"

L snorted derisively. "Light-kun requires an untoward amount of sleep. We have an investigation to conduct, and I cannot let that be hampered by Light-kun's extravagant habits."

Incredulous, Light glanced over at the clock. His brows immediately knit together.

"It's seven fifteen, L! I've only been asleep for six and a half hours!"

"We have a video conference with the taskforce at eight, if Light-kun recalls," L replied, sliding out of his crouch and slouching off towards the living room.

Light threw the comforter off himself, muttering. "We're not leaving the hotel, L. I think I can manage to be ready for a teleconference in less than forty-five minutes."

"From the notes I have received from Mello about Light-kun's habits, it seems that his daily ablutions are quite lengthy and detailed; his average morning shower lasts twelve minutes, and his ensuing toilette thirty-two." L spoke as though Light were a dimwitted child, leaving him to growl under his breath as he rummaged through the closet for an outfit. _No point in wearing a suit if I'm not leaving the damned suites. Fuck it, I can be casual too, I suppose._ L leaned against the doorframe while Light drew out a pair of slim khakis and a black v-neck sweater, continuing his litany as though Light needed education on his own habits. "That makes forty-four minutes, and Light-kun must still be brought up to speed on the equipment we are utilizing. Our case has little time or need for Light-kun's narcissism."

He spun at that, brandishing his newly-unearthed boxer briefs as though they were a weapon. "I am NOT narcissistic! I simply take care with my outward appearance so as to present a professional image!" Light protested, voice raising half an octave as he pushed past the detective into the bathroom and turned on the shower taps. "Unlike some people I could name..."

To Light's chagrin the older man actually followed, seemingly oblivious as to the social implications of joining a colleague in the damn _shower_.

"My, Light-kun is slow-witted in the mornings. If he recalls, I do not need to 'present a professional image' as I do not meet people in person. This is how I am comfortable, and this is how I shall remain unless otherwise necessary for the case."

Light sniffed, adjusting the water of the rather cavernous shower to his liking. "Translation- you have an entire closet full of identical outfits. Perhaps L should examine his own neuroses before attempting to label those of others." He paused, gathering his toiletries from the sink. "Do you _mind_?"

L's eyes widened, blank with innocence. "Mind what, Light-kun?"

"Don't give me those chibi eyes! You can't fool me. No one is that naïve, and I am not taking a shower with you standing there gawking at me."

L flashed him a quick, goblin's grin before pushing out his lower lip in a monumental pout. "What a thing to suggest, Light-kun! I wasn't _gawking_, I was merely carrying on a conversation; I simply assumed that someone as beautiful as Light-kun would not be so prudishly self-conscious about his body, particularly considering the prevalence of public bathing in Japanese culture."

Light fumbled his shampoo bottle at that, sending it skittering away into the corner of the marble stall. "You think I'm beautiful?"

L's brows dipped inwards, confusion clouding his eyes. _That's probably rare for him,_ Light thought.

"Light-kun is being ridiculous if he expects me to believe that no one has informed him of this before."

"Yes, ordinary people, but not…I mean, you…" Light broke off, not even certain why he was caught so off guard. Of course people told him he was beautiful; they told him _constantly_ how good-looking he was, and he certainly carried no modest illusions about the strength of his own attractiveness. Somehow he didn't expect L, who could see through such superficial trappings as his handsome face and charming smile, to even notice those fripperies or consider them worth mentioning.

"What?"

Light's cheeks grew warm at the penetrating gaze focused on him now. _Good grief, why did I even say anything? Stupid, stupid, stupid! Get it together!_

"I simply didn't expect you to notice such superficial things, that's all," Light mustered, turning back to the shower to indicate the conversation was over. L sighed heavily behind him, his footsteps retreating towards the door.

"I will give Light-kun six minutes in the shower before I come and retrieve him. We've already wasted too much time," L said. Then, quieter, "I am still human, Light-kun. I am capable of appreciating obvious beauty when it is right before my eyes."

The warmth in Light's face flamed to a blaze, and he quickly stripped and dowsed his head under the spray to rid himself of such childish reactions.

.

.

Light finished his shower in four minutes flat, and was already dried and dressed when L returned to the bathroom. The detective shifted uneasily from foot to foot while Light carefully combed his hair and actually chuckled when he applied moisturizer to his face.

"Shut up, L. When we're forty, I'll still look ten years younger because I take care of my skin. You, on the other hand…"

"I am already nearly seven years older than Light-kun, therefore I will reach forty long before he does."

Light opened and closed his mouth for a moment. L was so eccentric and childish that it was difficult to remember that he had been active on the world crime scene for at least sixteen years. Of course he was older than Light; in fact, it was a little surprising that the gap was so small.

"You're what, thirty-one then?"

L shifted his weight again. He seemed to have spoken without thinking, and was now regretting having such personal information available to anyone. Light was horrified to discover that his body was apparently acting without his consent, his hand reaching out and tipping L's chin upwards to meet his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just forget what I heard, shall I?"

The porcelain skin across high cheekbones was flushing with rose again, as it had yesterday when Light touched L's face. He dropped his hand immediately, hurrying past into the closet to find socks.

"Halloween."

Light glanced back, surprised. "What?"

"Halloween," L repeated, voice unsure. "I will be thirty-one on Halloween, Light."

"You…" Light began, feeling that euphoric rushing in his chest that had been plaguing him since he met the enigmatic detective. Then he smiled, so widely and brilliantly that L actually returned it with a genuine, if slightly watery, one of his own. _He trusts me, at least a little. And the honorific is gone again, along with the third-person pronouns- I wonder if he knows that he only does that when he's vulnerable?_ "That's fitting, considering your diet. Tell you what- I promise to take you out for cake on the thirty-first, and I won't even make any derogatory comments about sweets."

L's smile grew, crinkling up the corners of those stormy eyes. "I'll hold you to that, Light," he replied, putting a hand under Light's elbow and nudging him towards the living room. "But I warn you- taking me out for cake will put quite the dent in your pocketbook."

"No more than Sayu's last blackmailing, so I think I can handle it," Light laughed.

"Dude, you're taking L on a date?"

Light choked a little, not having noticed the trio curled up on the couches in the main area waiting for them. Matt was looking at him with special interest, and had even paused his game for the occasion.

"He was not talking about a 'date', Matt," L responded testily. "Is the communications equipment all green?"

"Who are you talking to here?" Matt snorted. Mello, on the other hand, wouldn't be sidetracked.

"Are you sure he wasn't talking about a date? You're both blushing and L used personal pronouns," Mello pushed, sidling right up to Light and giving him a ridiculously obvious once-over. "Damn. I wanted to get to you first."

"Mello seems to forget that he has a significant other in Matt, and Matt has proven himself to be the jealous type," L said, throwing a look of warning at the blonde.

Light started a little at this. Mello and Matt? Of course the body language and subtle verbal cues were obvious now that Light knew what he was looking for, but why did Mello constantly hit on him, then? Was it just to be obnoxious? Matt laughed, vaulting over the couch with one hand and wrapping the arm not holding his DS around Mello's waist.

"Sometimes we like to share. Spice up the relationship and all," Matt drawled, giving Light a thorough once-over of his own. "I gave Mels the go-ahead on this one. Are you sure you don't want to play with us?"

He could feel the blood rising furiously to his cheeks, and Light wondered idly if that was going to be a permanent fixture among these nutcases. "You mean with _both_ of you? At the same time? Are you crazy? You're just kids, and I've…"

"Oi! I'll be twenty-one in December, and Matty in February. We're closer in age to you than L," Mello retorted, leaning back into Matt's chest and licking his lips. "And what was that last you started to say? Don't worry, ducky, it's okay that you've never been with a man. We'd teach you real good."

"I've been with a man before!" Light broke in angrily.

Every occupant of the room was now staring at him, including the previously bored Near. "Err…"

"Bollocks!" Mello accused, stabbing a finger into his chest. "I researched the _hell_ out of you for nine bleeding months, there's no way you slipped a bloke past me!"

"It was a year and a half ago!" Light protested, suddenly wondering why he was so self-destructively competitive that he was spewing out his personal life like this. "And it was discreet as a matter of necessity. We worked together, and he was a foreign intelligence agent."

L was staring at Light in blatant fascination again, thumb pressed to his lips. "Was this the time that Light-kun liaised with the Federal Bureau of Investigation shortly after he became a detective?"

Light sighed and blew his over-long bangs out of his face, resigned to his sex life being on display. _Bastards watched me for almost a year, so everything else I did was on display anyway. Why not this?_ "Yes. I had a brief affair with the agent I was assigned to work with, Stephen Loud."

"Stephen Loud?" Mello breathed, sounding almost reverent. "As in Agent Gevanni?"

"Yes, he told me that was his code name, but…"

"You banged Hot Gevanni?" Matt asked, leaning over Mello's shoulder and grinning wildly. "_Everyone_ that works with the FBI wants to do Hot Gevanni, but he never picks anyone up. Says his standards are too high."

"Don't be daft, Matty, _obviously_ Light-o here is the one that got rogered. He's got uke written all over him."

"You think?"

"Excuse me!"

"Even Near got all flustered around Gevanni," Matt teased, ducking the pillow thrown at his head from the couch in response. The white-haired boy was blushing hotly and mumbling under his breath about death, dismemberment, and the hiding of video game cartridges.

"Might I remind you all that we have a teleconference in ten minutes?" Light said, interrupting a heated debate between Matt and Mello over his uke status. "Or have we forgotten that there is a psychotic killer on the loose in our zeal to dissect my barely existent sex life?"

"Maybe if you got laid more, you'd be less uptight," Mello replied, sticking his tongue out at Light and throwing open the suite door with a flourish. "Offer stands for us to help you with that."

"Pass." Light swept imperiously past the boys and out the door, heading for the elevator to the suite below and studiously ignoring both Matt's snickering and L's fervent stare. _I was right before. Definitely a madhouse._

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_8:15 a.m., Teleconference with NPA Headquarters_

.

"And so Watari will be passing out your new cell phones, which are to be used exclusively for this case and this case alone. You will also each have an ID under a pseudonym, so I suggest you get used to the alternate names provided."

"Sounds paranoid," Matsuda grumbled, squinting at the alias on his new identification.

"Paranoia has saved my life many a time, Matsuda-san," L replied, holding a hand over the microphone to sigh. He glanced over at Light, who looked strangely adorable in his wireless headset. _I did not just think that, _L admonished himself. "Your partner seems a bit of an idiot," he whispered.

L was rewarded with a boyish grin, a quick flash of teeth as Light laughed soundlessly. The man slipped one slender hand over his own mouthpiece. "At first, yes. But he has a good heart and good instincts; I find it best to treat him as an overly exuberant puppy."

His snicker was only barely stifled before Chief Yagami asked a question.

"L, my son is on this call, correct? May I speak with him?"

"Of course, Yagami-san. Yagami-kun is on a wireless headset and has his own monitor, so he can see as well as hear you. I have his voice unfiltered so you may easily identify us."

"What, no creepy computer voice for me?" Light murmured, throwing a look that was all out-thrust lower lip and pleading brown eyes at L. "You just don't like to share your toys."

L responded in a very Mello-esque manner and stuck out his tongue.

"I'm here Father," Light responded, muffling a giggle behind his hand.

"Raito, are you all right?" L frowned at this; why wouldn't Light be all right under his care? What did Yagami think he was going to do, handcuff him and toss him in a detention cell? _Although, I did threaten to do just that if he didn't cooperate,_ L mused. _Perhaps it says more about Light than me, if Yagami-san doesn't think him capable of keeping his mouth shut and behaving for a single day._

"I'm fine, Father," Light sighed, flicking his fringe out of his eyes. L thought he probably needed a haircut, but the exasperation in his voice spoke of more than that. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I know that, Raito," Yagami protested. "It's just that you were taken out of here in a highly…unorthodox manner yesterday."

"That was just Ryuuzaki being eccentric," Light lied easily, after which he smirked and mouthed the word _freak_ at L. "The cuffs were taken off once we got to the hotel, and I did some background research last night. It's _fine_."

"If you say so, Raito." Yagami-san's pager went off loudly, making him frown at the camera. "A moment, L. This is labeled an emergency."

"Of course, Yagami-san. As for the rest of you, I want Mogi-san and Aizawa-san working on on-scene investigations and live questioning. Any further murders will see the two of you on site, gathering evidence and questioning suspects or witnesses. You will keep contact with M, who will assist in these functions. Ide-san and Ukita-san will head up research from headquarters and transmit information to us here, and will coordinate with N. Matsuda-san, as you are usually Yagami-kun's partner you will run communications between all groups and liaise with us here at the hotel. You are the _only_ member of the team who will know where we are located. That you will keep this information a complete secret and be circumspect in your comings and goings is expected, considering your partner's life may be on the line. Yagami-san will head up the ground investigation and liaise with prefectural police and foreign agencies, assisted by Watari," L listed, pausing only to slurp from his sugar-laden tea. "Are there any questions? No? Then Watari has the communication details, and we will start with-"

"We have a problem, gentlemen." Yagami burst back into the room, a grim look on his stern face. "There have been two new murders, and the press has already gotten a hold of the story."

"Shit!" Light spat at his screen, heedless of his microphone. L met his angry golden eyes with a determined gaze.

"Indeed, Yagami-kun."

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Light's pacing was getting on L's nerves. The man had wanted to head right to one of the crime scenes with Mello after the teleconference, a notion on which L had viciously stomped. A rather childish tirade had followed, during which L had to remind Light twice that he was a _target_ and Light threw a muffin at his head. Apparently now the young detective had decided to get his revenge by making L ridiculously dizzy.

"I fear Light-kun shall wear a hole in the carpet if he continues in this manner," L began, well aware that he was doing something akin to bearding a tiger in its own den. For some reason he actually liked Light when he was angry; he became a creature of flashing eyes and impassioned speech and _challenge_. "Perhaps he should sit down and have a cup of tea while we await the reports from the crime scenes?"

"I am not accustomed to sitting on my hands whilst someone else does my police work for me," Light retorted sharply. "I need to see the crime scenes to make connections, L. Who knows what important information might be missed by allowing someone else to gather evidence for us?"

"Mello is more than adequately trained in crime scene investigation, Light-kun. Your own colleagues have also been performing these tasks for many years, with no major mishaps," L responded, licking the chocolate icing off a cake donut. "Is Light-kun implying that he has no faith in my highly intelligent operative, or in his own fellow detectives? Or perhaps it is that Light-kun lacks faith in his ability to deduce important clues from pictorial evidence and witness transcripts?" L grinned unrepentantly behind his confection as Light turned a murderous glare his way. "If that is the case, then Light-kun cannot possibly hope to be competition for a detective such as myself."

The glare Light sent him in response could have slagged brick. "I know what you're doing, L, and I'm not getting sucked into a fight as distraction. You and I both know that I am perfectly capable of solving crimes in such a manner, and have done so in the past. They didn't exactly let me into crime scenes as a teenager. What I don't appreciate is the forced restriction on my ability to solve this case." Light frowned deeper, a thin line appearing between his knit brows and tension tightening his eyes. "I'm being kept from utilizing my skills to their fullest and held in a hotel room with a group of people who are- and I say this with a great deal of consideration- even stranger than I am whilst my colleagues risk their lives to catch a mad man. More people could die because you think I need to be _protected._"

The last word was spat through clenched teeth, as though being protected was the worst insult Light could possibly have been offered. L sighed. _We're so alike, Light-kun and I,_ he mused pensively. _I hate when Watari tries to protect me too, even when I am engaging in an action that is admittedly reckless. _

"Light-kun must simply learn to deal with his frustration and focus on the case, I am afraid," he responded, beginning the slow process of stripping another donut of its chocolate icing. "Light-kun may not be aware, but I am only alive today because I have excellent instincts regarding the gravity of personal threat involved in a case. I _know_ that this person we are dealing with in this case is capable of more than the average criminal, else he would never have challenged me in such a manner. I am also certain that the danger to Light-kun's person is significant enough to warrant such drastic measures of protection." L tilted his head to the side, attempting to look as pathetic and innocent as possible. "Of course, as Light-kun finds me so extremely 'strange', perhaps he does not appreciate my concern for his well being; it is also probable that a person with such popularity and social skill as Light-kun does not comprehend my desire to seize upon any opportunity to meet a potential kindred spirit in person."

As predicted, Light's angry expression dropped almost comically from his face.

"That's not what I meant, L!" Light protested earnestly. "I'm just frustrated; I didn't mean that I don't appreciate your concern, though I don't really comprehend why you would worry over _me._ And I'm rather uncharacteristically happy to have been able to meet you in person; I've never met anyone like you and…"

Light stopped suddenly, squinting at L's wide eyes suspiciously.

"Damn it, L! Don't try to play me like that, you ass," Light groused, though the quirk of his lips belied any malice in the statement. "I'm the master of social manipulation; you won't get the better of me by playing the childish naïve."

L felt his own mouth twitching in response to Light's obvious humor. _Strange_, he thought, _I've smiled more in the last twenty four hours than in the previous five years. Light-kun's presence seems to make everything-_

"If you two are done with your awkward man-flirting, we have a problem," Matt interrupted disgustedly. L leaned over his shoulder to examine the particular screen the hacker was watching, ignoring the flutter in his stomach at seeing Light's adorable blush. _I have to stop thinking of him that way in my head,_ L admonished himself sharply.

Three of the twelve monitors Matt had set up in the dining area of the main suite were constantly tuned to the most prominent news channels in the area, one of them displaying a "Breaking News!" graphic in bold colors. The screen faded to show a pretty dark-haired reporter standing in front of a large park, the view behind her littered with crime scene tape and prefectural police cordons. Light cursed sulfurously in L's ear.

"Damn it all, that's Kiyomi-chan. Not to mention Aizawa's car in the background."

"Who is this Kiyomi-_chan_, Light-kun? The reporter?"

"Oh yeah," Matt said, grinning up at Light. "Takada, right? Wasn't she your college girlfriend? The one your friend Amane didn't like?"

Light raised an eyebrow at the gamer. "You know, there is something seriously discomfiting about the fact that you know all the minutiae of my life, Matt."

Matt shrugged philosophically, turning his eyes back to the screen. The camera was now closing in for a tight shot, and L found himself irritated at the very sight of the young woman now filling the view. Reporters always made cases like this more difficult, after all. _Liar._ L frowned. Was it a bad sign when your own subconscious began arguing with you?

"This is Takada Kiyomi, reporting for NHK live from Arisugawa Park where a most unusual murder victim was found at 7 a.m. today. The victim, pop star Amano Tsuki, was found on the runner's track on the other side of this pond. According to our preliminary information, Amano-san ran through this park every weekday morning between 6 and 7. Though police are keeping the scene locked down tight, our source has revealed that Amano-san's murder was ritualistic in nature; it matches the modus operandi of the murder of United Kingdom Ambassador David Warren, whose death yesterday was released to the public as a 'tragic accident'. This source, considered to be highly reliable, has also indicated that not only has the NPA put rising star detective Yagami Raito on the case but that the mysterious international detective known only as 'L' has also been tapped. Between the talent of these detectives and the high degree of secrecy surrounding this case, it is obvious that the police are attempting to keep knowledge of a dangerous serial killer from the public. We will continue this story as it breaks. For NHK, this is Takada Kiyomi."

The screen switched back to the newsroom of NHK, the anchors beginning a spirited debate on just what the NPA could be hiding from the Japanese public.

"Fuck."

L raised an eyebrow at Light's profanity. "Light-kun must keep a cool head. It was inevitable that the press would find out about this case eventually. We will simply have to undertake damage control earlier than expected. Near is an expert in the manipulation of information; he will disseminate the story we wish to be heard through his own sources."

"Nevertheless," Light replied, unconvinced. "Kiyomi-chan was always both ambitious and tenacious. Even if Near can throw most reporters off the scent, she'll never let go of a story that she believes to be important enough to advance her career. And she _knows_ that the combination of the both of us on a case spells big news; she's created some trouble for me on high profile cases before."

"How so, Light-kun?" L asked, thumb to his lips. Light looked particularly agitated still, leading L to believe that it was not so much the leak to the press but Takada that was the problem. Light cleared his throat uncomfortably and flushed.

"Well, she is…she's not…exactly impartial in her presentation of her stories," Light fumbled. "She is quite antagonistic towards the police, largely due to the manner in which we parted company in college. Kiyomi-chan holds quite the grudge, and goes out of her way to get assigned to cover my cases. Her boss actually approves; he thinks it sharpens her journalistic resolve."

Light, clearly distressed, resumed his pacing. L scowled. He was not exactly used to having his operatives compromised by a spurned lover.

"How did you break up with her, anyway? Must've been epic for her to hold a grudge four years later, dude," Matt quipped, interest clear in his eyes. Normally L would have chastised the boy for pursuing conversation irrelevant to the case, but he actually found himself curious as to the answer. _Damn it._

Smoothing down his hair compulsively, Light sighed. "I told Kiyomi from the beginning that I didn't want anything serious, and she agreed. She thought her future career was too important to be tied down, and I thought it rather the perfect arrangement. After all, she was at least reasonably intelligent and therefore more tolerable than my usual _fans_," the last word was spat out depreciatingly. "And I needed a shield of sorts, so that people would stop bothering me with requests for dates and let me study. Misa told me I was being a dope to believe that was all Kiyomi wanted too, and she was right. Just before graduation I broke it off and Kiyomi, for lack of a better term, lost it. She was certain I was going to ask her to marry me, of all things!" Light shook his head disbelievingly. "That's when Misa said I wasn't allowed to date anyone without her approval again, because I didn't understand that relationships don't work on logic."

"They should," L muttered, wondering at his own illogical reactions to Light-kun. A working relationship particularly should rely on logic, yet he found himself saying and doing things he never would have imagined before meeting the man. Light gave him that tight, lopsided smile that made L feel as though his heart was expanding inside his chest.

"Yes, well, I would have agreed with you then. I have since learned that it is an unreasonable expectation. After all, logic dictated I should never have involved myself with Stephen, but it turned out to be the only honest relationship I've ever had."

L snorted. "Light-kun is capable of having an honest relationship? I deduced that he was too much like myself in that regard; we lie constantly for the challenge, out of boredom, because we are incapable of removing the masks we have so firmly set in place..."

The crimson flecks in Light's amber eyes caught fire at that, his fury transforming his face into a thing of ethereal beauty that L could not have torn his eyes from if he tried.

"I have been nothing but honest with you from the start, L! For you to suggest that I am incapable-"

"I suggest nothing but the truth, Light," L interrupted heatedly. "You do not lie to me because you know that no one can catch a lie like another consummate liar; you recognized that in me from the start and have caught every last one of my own prevarications."

"You-"Light snarled, snatching up the sagging neckline of L's white shirt and raising his fist. L's own weight shifted to his back leg, his knee drawing upwards in readiness for a devastating kick.

"Oh for fuck's sake. Get a room already! All this fucking sexual tension and these foreplay arguments are going to drive me nuts."

Light dropped his fist, a chocking noise escaping his throat as he stared incredulously at Matt. L narrowed his eyes at his young protégé, trying to ignore the heat rushing into his pale cheeks; he was _sure_ he'd never blushed before yesterday!

"Matt is being ridiculous, and should not project his considerable frustrations at having to share living space with Near and thus being unable to fornicate with Mello onto Light-kun and myself."

Light was still spluttering behind him, a stream of unintelligible broken denials issuing from his lips. Matt grinned unabashedly.

"Yeah, right. My 'projection' is responsible for you looking at him like he's a strawberry cheesecake, then?"

Light actually _squeaked_ that time. L was about to decide that retreat was the better part of valor when an obnoxious pop song began to blare from what appeared to be a pile of jumbled wires and spare parts next to Matt. Light immediately regained both his composure and his ire, narrowing his eyes at the redhead.

"Matt, why is my ringtone issuing from that pile of junk?"

"Because that 'pile of junk' is your cell phone, Light-o. I needed to put a tap and a tracer on it, and I hadn't put it back together yet. For now you can pick up on this," Matt replied, handing Light a small earpiece. "And dude, seriously? Bubblegum pop?"

"Misa set her own ringtone," Light grumbled, hurriedly donning the earpiece and clicking on the receiver. Obviously the boy had set the phone to automatically play on speaker, because an ear-splittingly high whine erupted from the computer a moment later.

"RAITOOOOO-KUUUN! Misa thought you were in trouble, so Misa called you immediately and has Raito-kun seen the news yet? That horrid beast-woman was on and said that Raito-kun was involved in a dangerous case and Misa hadn't heard from Raito-kun and Misa was WORRIED! WHY DIDN'T RAITO-KUN CALL ME?"

Light began to rub his temples, but an indulgent smile was beginning to creep onto his lips. L, for some reason, decided that he did not like that smile one bit.

"Misa…Misa…MISA!" Light's voice finally was able to stop the hysterics of the woman on the other end of the line. "I'm fine, Misa. I was going to call you this afternoon, actually, once things settled down a bit. Yes, I am working a very dangerous case but it is all under control."

"Raito-kun knows I am just concerned about him," Misa replied in a much calmer tone. "Misa didn't mean to panic, but she tried to call Raito at the station and Matsu said Raito was unavailable until the case was over! Misa knew Raito would never do that without calling Misa first, so she thought that Raito might be in trouble."

Light smiled again, fondly. "No more than usual with a high profile case, Misa. I will tell you truthfully, this killer has indicated that I am to be a target, and that is why I am working behind the scenes on this one. Unfortunately, Matsu is right that I won't be able to see you until this is over, Misa."

"Misa understands," the idol replied softly. "IF Raito-kun promises to be very careful. Misa could not imagine life without Raito-kun."

"Thank you Misa," Light murmured, looking embarrassed at having an audience to his more emotional moments. L could sympathize. "I promise, when this is all over, I'll take a weekend off and we'll do whatever you want, all right? Just us."

"Really? Raito-kun could survive a whole weekend without work?"

"Really," Light laughed. "And Misa- be careful, will you? There's no telling if this criminal will decide to target the people close to the investigators in the case. Be smart, and be safe."

"Yes, yes, Misa knows," the model replied. L could practically hear the eye roll over the phone. Clearly the woman was used to an overprotective Light. "Misa's new bodyguard is actually quite terrifying. Did Raito-kun pick the scariest man he could possibly find?"

"Damn straight." L tapped Light on the shoulder, irritated. They did have a case to work on; this was no time for ridiculous banter. "I have to go now, Misa. My…colleague is getting rather short with me about phone use."

"Raito means L, right? Is he listening?"

"What made you think it was L, Misa?" Light glanced over at L warily, rather correctly assuming he wouldn't want his presence known to a civilian. A giggle came over the speakers at that, startling L.

"Raito-kun seems to have forgotten Misa only _plays_ stupid. Raito has been a target before, and never hid himself away. So, someone else must be calling the shots and the only person Misa could imagine subduing Raito is L."

L turned wide eyes on Light, who threw him a smug grin. Clearly, there was more to the model than met the eye and she had picked up a trick or two in deduction from her best friend.

"Very good, Misa."

"Thanks. Hello, Mr. Great Detective! Play nice with Raito-kun; he's a genius but a bit difficult. Oh, and if anything happens to Raito while he is under L's care, Misa-Misa will destroy him if it is the last thing she does," Misa chirped, the ditzy tone of voice not concealing the utter conviction in her words. "Bye, Raito-kun. Call Misa the moment the case is over, okay?"

"I will. Goodbye, Misa." Light clicked the earpiece again, terminating the call. The scowl was back on his lips, and he turned on L immediately. "You tapped my phone? And most likely put it through a tracer and a satellite bounce, I'm assuming?"

"Of course, Light-kun. Must I remind him, for the fifth time this morning, that he is a target? It is possible that our Loki will either attempt to contact you at some point or trace your phone himself. I simply had Matt beat him to the punch, as it were."

"You're such an impossible bastard," Light sighed, exasperated. L decided to favor the man with one of the creepier smiles in his repertoire.

"It is like gazing into a mirror, is it not Light-kun?"

"Ugh."

"Oi, Mello's coming up, and he's got that detective with him," Matt said, pointing at the hotel security feed. "You know, the spacey one?"

"Matsu?" Light brightened a little, leaving L with that gnawing feeling in his gut again. _This irritation seems to occur only when Light-kun shows favorable response to someone other than myself. Does this mean that I am…jealous? How absurd!_

"I'm back, and I've got company Ryuzaki," Mello called from the door, ushering in a bemused Matsuda and dragging off a dull khaki trench coat. L hoped that Light picked up on Mello's subtle clue that he was not to reveal L's identity, but he looked too gob smacked by the boy's undercover garb to have noticed.

"You actually own clothing that wasn't once alive?" Light drawled, snagging Mello's dark brown wig and tossing it to the couch in disgust. "This thing is _vile_ by the way."

Matsuda now looked even more confused, but Mello laughed. "Of course it is; that's the point. I can't look like my normal dead sexy self on a case- I'd get mobbed by hordes of admirers wanting into my considerably tight pants."

"The Japanese are more likely to be horrified at your tartiness, actually," Light responded, grinning. He turned to his partner and snapped his fingers in front of the man's glazed eyes. "Come on, Matsu, catch up. This is a bit of a madhouse, so you'll have to get used to eccentric geniuses run amok."

"I got used to you, didn't I?" Matsuda replied, reaching forward to pull Light into a brief hug. Light stiffened immediately, grumbling a fierce protest as the elder man ruffled his immaculate hair. "You seem all right. The Chief is worried about you."

"I can take care of myself damn it. I swear the man only treats me like an adult when he needs me to solve a case."

Matsuda sighed, patting his partner on the shoulder. "You're _too_ self-sufficient, Yagami-kun. He gets worried that you'll overwork yourself and that you don't need him anymore."

"Touching as your little reunion is, might I remind Light-kun that we have crime scene photos to inspect?"

"Matsu, this is Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki, Matsuda Touta. You were never introduced properly, as Ryuzaki was too busy manhandling me at the time," Light responded shortly. "Ryuzaki is one of L's liaisons, like Watari. He'll be coordinating the headquarters here for him."

Matsuda bowed politely, while L just put a thumb to his lips and stared until the man looked away uncomfortably. _Ah, small childish victories. _Mello re-emerged from the common washroom in his normal garb, tossing Matt a flash drive and grabbing a soda from the refrigerator on his way to the console.

"You've already met Mello, but this is Matt. He's in charge of technology," Light continued, ignoring his colleagues' bad manners. The gamer simply lifted a hand without turning from his screens.

"Yo."

"So, to business then gentlemen?" L began, watching crime scene photos and forensic sheets appear on the various screens in the bank in front of him.

"The first victim, the one reported on NHK News, is Amano Tsuki," Mello recited, pointing to the picture of a young woman in her early thirties lying in a familiar cross shape across a wide path surrounded by grass. "She's a J-Pop singer, underground for the most part, who has been gaining some notoriety on the music and art scene lately through two albums accompanied by digital art and an album of children's songs. Amano apparently jogged through Arisugawa Park every weekday morning between six and seven, when the park is pretty much deserted; made her a bit of an easy target."

Mello clicked on to the next picture, a close-up shot of the victim's neck. A collar of blooming purple bruises marred the flesh there. "Amano was killed by strangulation. There were a few fibers under her fingernails that are at the labs for analysis, so she obviously tried fighting off her attacker, who probably grabbed her from behind from the bruise pattern. The only other wound was a knife cut on her wrist, inflicted post mortem, which the killer used to draw the blood for the symbols on her palms." Another click, another close-up. "The symbols here are the same as those on the UK Ambassador- a Nordic-style sun on one palm and a moon on the other. And, of course, there's another note."

"Still in runes, I presume?" Light asked, eyes darting back and forth between the photos on the central screen and Mello.

"Bang on," Mello replied. "But before we get to that, let's take a quick look at the other victim. This is the one the boys at the NPA have thus far managed to keep out of the press."

"Oi!"

"No offense, of course," Mello supplied with a grin. "I mean, the victim was right out on the middle of the bloody park. Anyway, second victim was found in her home." A second screen flared to life, also bearing the picture of a woman in her late twenties or early thirties lying supine on a carpeted floor. "Funnily enough, this one's also a J-Pop artist and producer; name's Hinata Megumi."

"Hinata Megumi?" Light asked, frowning. "Hey Matsu, don't you have all her CD's? What is it they call her again? Meg Rock?"

"Yeah," Matsuda replied sadly. L suppressed the urge to roll his eyes with difficulty. Matsuda _did_ seem like the type to have a collection of juvenile music. "She's been on the Japanese music scene for over ten years, and she even does translation work for American pop stars who want to tour here in Japan."

"Let me guess," Light continued. "She also died of strangulation?"

"Got it in one." Mello shrugged, turning to L. "Same cause of death, same positioning, same symbols, same age range and profession. They even had identical notes found on their bodies, Ryuzaki. The only difference between the two was the location."

"If Matt would translate and bring up the note?" L requested, mind already trying to make connections between the two new victims and the previous one.

"The giantess old | in Ironwood sat,  
In the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir;  
Among these one | in monster's guise  
Was soon to steal | the sun from the sky.

Would ye know yet more?"

Light's smooth voice recited the poetry with what was, L admitted, a rather sexy accent. "That sounds terribly familiar. Another stanza from the Voluspa?"

Matt nodded grimly, bringing up a program on one of his laptops. "So this program I set up will translate any of the notes we get out of runes into English, and then uses a search algorithm to compare the passages to any known Norse literature. This one's a passage from the Voluspa, stanza 40 to be exact."

"It outlines another sign of the coming apocalypse," L mused aloud. "It speaks of the devouring of the sun and the moon by the wolves Skoll and Hati, children of Fenrir. Loki's original note to us already indicated to us that Ragnarok was imminent, so why-"

"The Sun and the Moon!" Light exclaimed, resting a hand on L's elbow. His eyes sparkled with excitement, making the amber color seem to glow. "Amano _Tsuki._ The kanji 'tsuki' means moon."

"Unless it's you, that is Yagami-kun," Matsuda quipped, throwing an elbow into Light's ribs.

"Talk to my mother about that one," Light replied snippily. "She's the one that came up with that little gem. We've also got _Hinata_ Megumi. 'Hinata' means 'a place in the sun' in Japanese."

"So we have proxies for the sun and the moon, and also the implication that these proxies were killed by 'wolves'. Yet, the only wolf mentioned by name in the original material is-"

"Fenrir," Light finished. "I agree, Ryuzaki. From the profile I have been developing on Loki, it is highly doubtful that he would have more than a small handful of operatives working for him. I believe that all references to wolves will most likely refer to Fenrir."

"Very good, Light-kun," L smiled. "I deduced the same. It is likely from Loki's arrogance and the particular members of our own group that he has 'called out' so to speak that his operatives in fact number three; the same as the number of Loki's famed monster children. I believe that besides Loki himself, we also must locate and apprehend a Fenrir, a Jormungard, and a Hel. This does make the task of solving this case far more difficult, and yet…"

"And yet he will likely have chosen these associates for their similarity to the mythological characters in question." L's smile grew wider; it appeared his thoughts and Light's ran in such parallel that words would be largely unnecessary between them. Light's triumphant expression melted quickly however, and turned into one of troubled contemplation. "The sun and the moon…wasn't there something else? After the sun and the moon were devoured in the myth?"

"Yes," L replied slowly. "The stars fell from the heavens."

Light's eyes widened in sudden horror. "Oh gods. Misa!" He started for the door with such speed that L barely managed to get a hold of his upper arm, dragging him backwards in restraint.

"Light-kun should calm himself! What about Misa-san?"

"Stars fell from the heavens, Ryuzaki. The women that were murdered today were pop stars whose names represented the sun and moon. What if we were wrong about his targets being members of the justice system? What if the next targets are both 'stars' in profession and in name?"

"That would make a certain amount of sense," L said cautiously. "We assumed that Loki's references to Asgard meant that he would be targeting the justice system, but it is equally possible that he was challenging the entire system and will choose his victims based more on symbolism." L released Light's arm gently. "What does this have to do with Misa-san? She may be considerably famous and thus a 'star', but her name means 'beautiful sands' in Japanese if I am not mistaken, Light-kun."

"It does. But _Amane_ means 'sounds of the heavens'. I have to protect her; I can't just sit here on my ass while my best friend is in danger!"

"Does it occur to Light-kun," L snapped, irritated at the belligerent tone Light's voice was beginning to register. "that our Loki is most certainly aware of the relationship between Misa-san and himself, and thus may have chosen these particular victims and this particular scenario in order to entice Light-kun out of his protective barrier? That leaving my protection under these circumstances would most likely be playing directly into Loki's hands?"

"Of course I do, I'm not an idiot," Light replied testily. The man was clearly gearing up for a fight once more; subtly adjusting his weight for an effective defense should it be necessary. Too bad for Light that L was far too experienced to be put off by such measures. "I am an officer of the law, I am used to putting myself in the line of fire and would do so in an instant for those who are dear to me!"

L reeled back slightly at these words, a tightness spreading across his chest. He rubbed it absently, wondering if there were anyone at all that would be so willing to hurl himself into danger for _his _sake. Watari, perhaps. His successors, despite their insolent manner, still idolized him far too much for that; they believed him capable of getting himself out of any and all dangerous situations. Irrational jealousy of Amane Misa crept sluggishly through his veins like oil.

"I did not imply that we would leave Misa-san in the wind, Light-kun," he managed. He flipped the communications switch on Matt's central control console. "Near? This is Ryuzaki."

"Go ahead, Ryuzaki," came the robotic voice from the speakers.

"Due to her status as a potential target, we will need skilled yet unobtrusive protection for Amane Misa immediately."

"Understood. There is one contact I already have in mind."

"Excellent," L replied. "There, now Light-kun may calm himself and concentrate on the case, I trust?"

"Yes, I suppose I-"

"Excellent," he repeated firmly. "Now, let us look over the forensic reports and crime scene photos more thoroughly, and see what we may deduce."

Light sighed, dropping heavily into a chair and letting his forehead thump unceremoniously onto the table top. "All right, you win Ryuzaki."

"Of course I do. Light-kun should become accustomed to that fact."

L picked up his neglected coffee, smirking slightly into the rim at the sound of Light's strangled groan.

.

.

.

3 October 2010: 1am

From his perch near the headboard, L once more watched Light sleep. It was strange how he was getting used to the sound of someone else's gentle breathing after only two days. It was becoming a comforting white noise to him; Light's sighs and grumbles and half-coherent mutterings made the vast suite seem a little less empty. Of course, L knew that he was risking another fight by choosing to sit on the bed itself, right next to Light's dreaming form. Light had been downright furious when he awoke to find L on the bed with him that morning, so it was both terrifying and thrilling to think about how he'd react to being observed in this manner again. He just couldn't _help_ it; Light was fascinating even when unconscious. His mind, like L's own, clearly never fully shut down- half of the mumbling he heard was snippets from Light's ever-growing profile on Loki. It was the other half that had L riveted, though. A low stream of slurred Japanese endearments and drowsy arm movements searching the bed for another occupant seemed rather out of character for Light. He knew from the information that his successors had gathered that Light hadn't had a serious lover since college and the man himself had admitted his affair with the FBI agent had ended more than a year previous. Was Light…lonely?

The thought made L go slightly cold. As he watched Light roll onto his back, a scowl marring his lips and his cinnamon hair in his eyes, L wondered that such a lovely creature could remain so apart. He supposed that he should chide himself for even thinking of such frivolous things during a case, but L was a pragmatic man; he was built for analysis and that included analysis of himself. Admittedly his actions since meeting Light were anomalous, and his feelings of jealousy earlier in the day made him consider Matt's words to the both of them more carefully. Was Matt correct? Did L have feelings of a romantic nature for Light?

Courting disaster, L slid out of his trademark crouch and lay down carefully next to the other detective. He let his eyes roam over the exotically beautiful face, the disordered strands of auburn silk that drifted across finely-made features. Cautiously reached out a hand and carded long fingers through that hair, a frisson of shock running through him when Light murmured a welcome and nuzzled at L's hand in his sleep. That shock was followed by a hot liquid rush of arousal as Light's lips brushed his palm. Yes, he decided. Matt was correct. L had…feelings for Light. It seemed ridiculous, really, considering he had only known the man for two days.

No, he corrected himself. He had only known Light _in person_ for two days. In reality, he knew more about Light than his own family probably did. It was perhaps inevitable that L would develop such emotions for the first person he found that had a chance to be a true rival to him. As for what to do about it, L had no answer. He let his mind drift, considering his options, and let the warmth and the sound of his Light seep into his skin. He would leave before Light woke up, of course, but for now he simply wanted to remain close to the man and contemplate the possibilities and the problems inherent in his newest revelation.

L drifted, and outside the walls of his sanctuary the stars began to fall.


	6. Frigg's Gambit

_Author's Note:_

_Apologies. Light-kun stopped talking to me for a few weeks (perhaps he saw my chapter notes), and thus became impossible to write. The name of this chapter is inspired by the measures taken by Frigg, the mother of Balder, to prevent her son's death._

_All of the victims of the Ragnarok murders are, in fact, real people; any personality traits are simply imagination on the part of this writer, who is not worth suing. _

_A word of caution, dear readers. From here on out, people are going to die; possibly lots of people. Unlike the canon, it won't be practically everyone (and those that did survive got pretty hosed). However, like the canon not all your favorite characters are going to make it out of this one unscathed. I promise that I am not an angst queen, but neither do I like unrealistic and out-of-character bubblegum endings. I think that part of the reason the Death Note characters are so compelling is due to the perilous and precarious nature of their situations. So, expect somewhere between the complete devastation of the canon and the usual fan fiction "OMG and they lived happily ever after". _

_Oh, and Light-kun's cologne is Hanae Mori for Men, a scent I love on my husband._

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did. _

**Chapter Five: Frigg's Gambit**

**.**

_3 October 2010, 7am: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

_._

For the second time in as many days, Yagami Light awoke very confused. There was heavy warmth all around him, heating his skin to a near feverish state. A dull, regular thudding sound echoed in his ear, and he could swear he smelled cake frosting. Cautiously, Light cracked open a single amber eye to survey his surroundings. A blank white expanse filled his view, rising and falling like waves on the ocean. _What in the…?_

Light opened his other eye and lifted his head slightly, trying not to panic as he realized his arms were trapped against a hard surface in front of him. What he saw should have reassured him; he was still in the bedroom of the hotel suite, in bed, with only L for company. However, said detective was actually in the bed with him, wiry arms encircling Light's torso in an iron grip. Light was tucked up against the man's chest, his hands clinging slightly to L's simple white shirt just under his collarbones. His face had been buried in the hollow of L's neck. _I guess that sound was his heartbeat,_ Light thought inanely. _I thought he said he never slept. I can't believe __**that's**__the first thing I'm worried about!_

Trying to calm his now-rapid breathing, Light began to reason through the situation. _Okay, so he's in bed with me. Dear gods! No, calm down. I know that he's been observing me constantly, so he probably was doing that some time during the night and simply fell asleep. It's a reflex to gravitate towards a source of heat in your sleep, so we both must have shifted too close and ended up like this. Oh, gods, what if I cuddled him first? What is he going to say if he wakes up and finds us like this? _Light frowned, knowing exactly what L would say; he'd mock Light to death. _Well, screw that. If I just pretend to go back to sleep, he'll have to figure out what to do about it when he wakes up. Then I can 'wake up' and get the upper hand. After all, I certainly didn't crawl into bed with him!_

Confident that he had reasoned his way into an advantageous position, Light settled back down and closed his eyes. As he slowed and evened his breathing, he couldn't help but notice that L really did smell like frosting- vanilla frosting. Light snorted slightly as he remembered a brightly colored bottle in the shower the previous day; apparently it wasn't enough for the man to eat confectionary all day long, he had to bathe in sugar too. It wasn't as saccharine as Light had thought it would be. In fact, it overlay another scent; this one deep and musky and probably the detective's own. Light was actually a little embarrassed at how enticing he found the combination. In tandem with the steady rhythm of L's heartbeat and the man's incredible warmth, it lulled Light back into a semi-conscious state.

_I haven't felt this comfortable with another person since…well, ever I suppose. Stephen only stayed the night a few times, and despite our relationship I still felt unnerved. _Light's brow crinkled and his fingers tensed, causing L to mumble slightly and slide one arm down to Light's waist. It curled around him securely, bringing their hips together. Light inhaled sharply; he could definitely have done without the evidence that L was having _very_ pleasant dreams. He could also have done without the answering swell of his own groin at the pressure. _Good grief, I can't really be getting aroused by this, can I? It's not as though he's even aware of me at the moment. Not to mention that he's not my type at all; he's rude, arrogant, socially stunted, badly dressed, bossy, and invasive. But,_ the other side of his brain argued, _he's the most intelligent man you've ever met, he understands you, and he can keep up with you. He's just like you. And he __**is**__ your type. What did Stephen and Teru and the few other men you've ever been attracted to have in common? _Light frowned again; just awake enough to be disconcerted at his subconscious arguing with itself. _They are all tall, slender men with black hair, delicate features, and extraordinary eyes. Bullshit, _his more rational half countered. _I am not attracted to this eccentric weirdo! _

The word _denial_ sang through his skull before he realized that L's murmurs were getting more frequent and coherent. _Crap, time to play dead._ Light resumed his 'sleeping' breathing pattern, wondering idly if losing an argument with one's self was a symptom of insanity.

.

.

L woke slowly for once, his brain refusing to snap directly into consciousness as per usual. Instead, it registered heat and comfort and a magnificent blend of scents: jasmine, lemon, lavender, and chocolate. There was smooth silk beneath his chin, and a hazy trace of arousal coiling in his gut. As he drifted up towards wakefulness, L dreamily mused that he couldn't remember a time when he had felt so content. Of course, he couldn't remember the last time he slept in an actual bed either. He slid his left arm from its perch on a warm shoulder down to a slim waist, curling around his prize and dragging it closer to himself. A rumble of pleasure slipped from his throat as his groin met fullness in the cradle of the narrow hips opposite his, eyelids fluttering slightly as L's mind began to fully engage.

_Gods, Light feels so damn good in my arms like this. I've never desired anyone, but if this is what it's like then I'm never letting Light out of my sight. _L rolled his hips gently, pressing his lips to the forehead of his bedmate. Elegant fingers twitched in their grip on his shirtfront and a breathy half-moan escaped full lips, but that was the only reaction; clearly the man was still asleep. _My Light, _L thought fondly.

_Wait, what?_ L's eyes flew open abruptly as his train of thought finally resolved into some semblance of coherency. A quick, panicked glance down confirmed his fears; he had a double-armful of slumbering detective nestled against his chest, face pressed to the side of L's throat. _I fell asleep! I actually fell asleep, and have apparently placed myself in quite the precarious position. If Light wakes up, I will be accused of being a pervert and a stalker. Retreat seems the only viable option, yet how can I possibly extricate myself without disturbing him?_ L shifted slightly, carefully withdrawing the arm around Light's midsection and sliding a bit further away from the man. Light's brow scrunched up adorably and he snuggled deeper into L's embrace, lips brushing against L's pulse as he did so. L swallowed heavily, said pulse now thundering in his ears. Moving even more slowly, he began the arduous process of untangling his legs from Light's, drawing his other arm out from under the younger detective. His companion sighed heavily, rustling his bangs, and rolled over onto his other side to latch on to the extra pillow instead. L didn't know whether to be relieved to have escaped without confrontation, or horribly jealous of the object in question as he slipped out of the covers and backed quietly into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and let his head drop to the surface with a thunk. Glaring down at his abdomen, L resignedly admitted that even if he was not conscious to revel in it Light had certainly gained the upper hand.

.

_11 a.m._

.

L frowned darkly into his ice cream sundae. Things just were not going his way this morning: first there had been the unbearably humiliating position in which he had awoken, and then he had watched a series of irritating news reports speculating on the potential murderer in Tokyo, and finally there had been Light. The man seemed almost smug today, as though he knew something L did not.

_Does he know? Was he really asleep, or was he acting? And if so, why would he not have said anything? After all, he was severely angry when he found I was watching him sleep just yesterday morning. Perhaps he is simply waiting until he can gain the most advantage with the information. Perhaps…_

Light's laughter broke into L's thoughts, the ringing sound forcing the detective to glance over at his companion. Two heads, one red and one auburn, were bent together over a laptop; animated hand gestures accompanied Matt's obviously humorous tale of his hacking adventures. Light's smile was so brilliant and innocent-looking that L immediately questioned himself. _Perhaps I am being too paranoid. Perhaps I am over-thinking this due to my discomfort with the discovery of my troublesome feelings for Light. _

"L, put down the sweets and get over here. Matt and I think we've worked out a plausible algorithm that could predict future victims based on their names, occupations, and correlations to Norse myths," Light called, beckoning L with the hand not holding his coffee. "We think we can get it up and running in a couple of days' coding. I thought perhaps we could be a bit more proactive this way, and Near and Mello can continue to examine the forensics and research the myths with you."

"Am I no longer in charge of my own investigation anymore?" L groused. "It seems Light-kun believes he is the World's Greatest Detective now."

"Light-kun believes that he has come up with a better division of labor than the 'World's Greatest Detective' and that simply waiting for more people to die so that more connections can be made in this case is unethical," the younger man sniped nastily. "In fact, Light-kun is fairly certain that the World's Greatest Detective was rather hoping for more deaths so that we could obtain more information or confirmation of our hypotheses on Loki's pattern."

"Light-kun is rather filled with vitriol this morning. Seven cups of coffee before noon is detrimental to his temperament."

"Seven cups of coffee is necessary for Light-kun to function before noon," Light retorted, slugging back the rest of his mug to emphasize his point. "And I think that you are rather hypocritical to be making any comments regarding addictions, considering that you consume your weight in sugar daily."

"Touché, Light-kun," L replied easily. "The fact remains that this is still my investigation."

"The fact remains that you're an arrogant, over-bearing ass."

"Children! I'm sure you're both very butch and very hung," Matt interjected, causing Mello to snicker over his forensic reports. "But as none of us are willing to volunteer to judge this dick measuring contest, can we get on with actual work?"

"No point," Mello called from the corner armchair, "Light's Asian."

"And you're short. Do you really want to get into a discussion of penis size stereotypes?"

"Gentlemen, perhaps we could focus," Watari interrupted, entering the living room from the kitchen where he had been taking a phone call. "Particularly since we have yet another murder, a very public murder?"

"What?" L leapt from his perch on the couch and skidded on the wood floor to the main computer bank. His fingers flew over the keys, pulling up the communication link to Near and flicking through the news channels impatiently. Predictably, he stopped on NHK with a muffled curse.

"Them again?" Light blurted, exasperated. "How the hell do they keep getting wind of these murders before the police?"

"I believe we are about to find out, Light-kun." L frowned at Takada Kiyomi's serious face on the screen. Her eyes spoke a different story than her solemn tone; they fairly sparkled with excitement. "Takada-san appears to be enjoying this case."

"That's because murder makes for a gripping story," Light replied, his voice low and disgusted. "She doesn't particularly care about the fact that real people are involved."

"…the latest in a string of ritual killings, Hoshimura-san was found at the bottom of the famed stairs of Atago Shrine in Minato. Like the other victims, including pop stars Amano Tsuki and Hinata Megumi, she was deliberately posed and decorated with European pagan symbols. According to our source, letters written in ancient runes accompany each murder; these letters are addressed to the mysterious detective known only as L. The National Police Agency has dubbed this case the 'Ragnarok Murders' due to the references to the old Norse apocalypse that the perpetrator leaves at the scene."

"Near?"

"The victim is one Hoshimura Mai," Near responded immediately. "Aizawa-san and Mogi-san are still on-scene collecting evidence. Matsuda-san is en route to your location to pick up M while I relay with Ukita-san and Ide-san. I am currently unaware of Yagami-san's whereabouts."

"Hoshimura's another JPop artist, a pianist. She's famous for playing while standing crouched at the instrument," Light offered. "And her last name fits the pattern I predicted- it means 'star village' in Japanese."

L nodded absently, thumb drifting to his lips. "Agreed. Light-kun and Matt should begin work on their algorithm as soon as possible. Mello, please rendezvous with Matsuda-san then join Aizawa-san and Mogi-san at the scene; it is time one of our own operatives looked at one of the bodies in situ."

"Yagami-san, incidentally, was the one who telephoned me," Watari added. "Apparently he is now in a conference with his superiors regarding the possibility of a leak in the department."

Light threw his pen onto the table with much more force than necessary, leaving a sizeable ink splotch on his notebook. "Damn it all, I knew the press was too knowledgeable. The leak must be in either the NPA or the higher levels of the justice department. They're the only ones with access to that kind of information."

"I agree with Light," Near replied over the comm. "I also believe this is a priority that should be dealt with as soon as possible. I cannot properly disseminate the information we want known if there is someone else contradicting me, L."

"Agreed. Near, you have permission to use whatever of my authority you must to find and silence this leak. I believe you should work with Yagami-san, as he is most likely to develop a short list of possible perpetrators."

Watari picked up his trench and fedora from a nearby chair, swinging the coat around his shoulders as he headed for the door. "I will collect Yagami-san and meet you at Rendezvous Point Gamma in forty minutes, Near."

"Understood. Near out."

"Wait up, Watari!" Mello called, emerging from the bathroom with yet another disguise in place and swooping in to the table to kiss Matt. "I'm out too, duckies. I'll call you from the scene once I've collected Captain Oblivious."

"Now, now," Light chided mildly. "Captain Oblivious is still my partner, remember."

"Not in more ways than one, I hope," Mello replied with a leer that looked slightly ridiculous considering his costume included thick horn-rimmed glasses. Light's face became a study in comic dismay.

"That thought is horribly disturbing."

L scowled irritably. "It would be lovely if Mello could stay on task and pass at least a single hour without sexually harassing Light-kun."

Mello wiggled his fingers obnoxiously as he shut the door behind him. "Jealous much?"

"I love that bastard, but he's a total jackass sometimes," Matt muttered from his console, fingers flying over the keys. "Oi, Kira-kun, come on and give me a hand, will you?"

Light nodded, withdrawing a pair of yellow-lensed Gunnar computer glasses from his work satchel and cracking his knuckles. Together, the pair flipped most of the computer screens to face their keyboards, and linked them together so that each man had three continuous monitors at his command. "Let's get started, shall we Red?"

Realizing that he was now completely alone as the hackers delved into their work, L turned to his own laptop and a pile of panda cookies that Watari was kind enough to leave for him. He had a feeling it would be a long afternoon.

.

_6 p.m._

_._

The interminable clicking of his computer keys had become his entire world. There was nothing else but that sound, nothing else but the sight of the strings of code scrolling before his eyes. _Since we're coding this algorithm to search the net, I wonder if a Huffman encoding algorithm would be more efficient._

"Light-kun."

_No, that would only compress the letter frequencies, and I need something that will search more complex files. Dijkstra's algorithm is better, but only solves the problem for one vertex._

"Light-kun!"

_Dynamic programming would give me all-pairs, shortest paths as a weighted graph. That's definitely the next step. _His fingers flew over the keys again, fleshing out the sub problem in a recursive format. _I wonder what Matt thinks of this one? _A quick glance to the side and a flick of his left hand towards the screen caught the red-head's attention, and a satisfied grunt was his reply. _Excellent. Now if I just…_

"LIGHT-KUN."

"Dude, why do you use so much fussy whitespace and indenting when you code? The compiler doesn't give a crap if it looks clean."

"Some of us," Light replied snippily, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Have to actually show our code to other people. The Information and Cybercrimes unit reads all my code when I work a case as Kira." He tossed a wry grin at Matt. "It is also useful to be able to pick out the flow of the control later. Your code is brilliant, but looks dreadful. How on Earth do you find anything if you make a mistake? "

"LIGHT-KUN!"

Light jumped a good foot off his chair as a voice shouted his name right into his ear. "What the hell, L? Some warning would be nice."

Two furious gray eyes glared into his from a distance of mere inches. "I have been attempting to get Light-kun's attention for the past five minutes. He was _ignoring_ me."

The petulant tone the rebuke was delivered in was not lost on Light. _Good grief, it's almost like he's a child jealous of his friend's attention to other kids._

"I was not ignoring you, L; I was just preoccupied with my code."

A slight snort and toss of wild hair confirmed Light's suspicions of L's behavior. "Light-kun heard Matt just fine."

"Matt was talking about my code."

"Dissing it, more like," the gamer quipped, stretching his arms and pushing his goggles up onto the top of his head. "It's prissy and OCD like you."

Light found himself actually sticking out his tongue. _Mello is a bad influence._

"Don't stick it out unless you plan to use it," Matt sang. "Hey, L, is it dinner time yet?"

L, who had been looking increasingly annoyed with the banter between the two hackers, frowned even deeper. "That is what I have been attempting to convey to Matt and Light-kun for some time now. Mello and Near have returned, as well as Watari. They have brought with them Matsuda-san and Yagami-san, surprisingly enough."

"My father's here?" Light leapt up from the console, dropping his glasses onto the table and nearly tripping over his satchel as he did so. He could feel the tips of his ears turn red. "I meant to do that."

"Of course Light-kun did," L drawled, patting him on the head condescendingly.

"Shut up, L."

"As our computer console has taken up the whole of the dining table, we will be having dinner in the living room." L's scowl suddenly became even blacker. "Watari has ordered _sushi_ and insists I may not have dessert until I have eaten some."

Light couldn't help it; he snickered. The man was thirty years old, the "Greatest Detective in the World", and he still had a nanny pushing him to eat his vegetables. L's temperament was apparently fouler than Light would have guessed, as he rather maliciously tripped him as he left the room.

"I am terribly sorry, Light-kun, how uncharacteristically clumsy of me. Here, allow me."

The hand that was extended to help Light to his feet squeezed the bones of his wrist together painfully. Light swallowed a grimace and graced him with the fakest, most blinding smile in his repertoire.

"Light-kun should also remember to address me as 'Ryuuzaki' and avoid revealing my identity to his father and partner whilst they are here."

"Yes, yes. I'm not an idiot."

As predicted, Light's father gave him a gruff hug and an overprotective once-over as soon as he entered the main suite. Light suppressed the urge to roll his eyes with difficulty, even if he was glad to see the man.

"You seem all right, Raito. Your mother is worried about you."

"I'm fine, Father." _Yeah right- use mom as an excuse. Can't possibly have anyone think YOU might have been worried about your capable, adult son for no good reason. _"Did you think I wouldn't be? After all, I have just been sitting on my hands in a hotel room while a murderer runs amok."

"Light-kun is being obnoxious today," L chimed in, looking in distaste at the plate of vegetable rolls Watari had handed him. "He has been informed multiple times of L's reasoning in keeping him here. Moreover, Light-kun should feel privileged that he is being involved in this case on the highest level."

Soichiro leveled a glare on L that could easily rival the worst of Light's. _It's probably genetic. _"Ryuuzaki-san, was it?" he asked. L merely stared, refusing to give a response other than a highly creepy smile that Light was happy to not have turned on him for once. "While I assume that L would not have you in charge of the headquarters here if you were not capable, I do not appreciate you harassing my son for your own amusement."

"I can take care of myself, Father. _And_ Ryuuzaki, for that matter. It's rather like babysitting, when you get down to it."

L's pout was of epic proportions. "I must qualify my earlier statement. Light-kun is obnoxious and _mean_ today."

Light snorted as he sat down next to Matsuda, who was eyeing Mello with great trepidation. He selected an assortment of maki and unagi rolls and poured himself some tea before continuing. "I assume that since you are here, father, you found out something rather important regarding the leak of information in the department."

Soichiro nodded, waiting politely until everyone present had their food before answering. "I had a meeting this morning with Commissioner General Nakamura and Deputy General Kitamura regarding this problem. The problem in narrowing down the information leak is that there are too many people involved in the case already. The prefectural officers who secured the scene, the forensic teams who examined the body, most of the department chiefs, and the primary prosecutors from the legal department either had direct observation to go on or had access to the file system. However, this mole also knew that Raito and L are both involved in the case. That rules out the prefectural police and any of the forensic team. The remaining possibilities are what make this so worrying."

"In other words, the only people with enough information to give away are highly placed or one of our own team," Mello added, pushing pickled ginger around his plate with his chopsticks. "Bugger."

"Quite," Light replied. "I think we can rule out the seven of us that L chose from the NPA. None of us has been alone since the investigation began."

"Not to mention," L interrupted with a smile, "that I rather doubt L would work with anyone he had not thoroughly investigated. I have seen the files collected for each of you, and I agree with Light-kun that we need not follow that line of inquiry."

A small, quiet voice piped up from Light's left.

"Did you say that there are members of the legal department that have access to the files on this case, Yagami-san?" Near asked softly. "It would fit the mythological motif Loki has chosen to use the system in such a way."

"I did," Soichiro replied, clearly uneasy. Light recognized the furrows in his father's forehead quite well; they only appeared when he reached a conclusion about a case that disturbed him. "  
But if that is the case, then I am unsure of how to stop the leaks without alerting our mole. If we do that, we'll never find out who it is."

"Simple," L answered. He had mangled several of his vegetable rolls almost beyond recognition in the hopes that it would appear he had eaten more than he had. Watari, Light noted fondly, was obviously not buying it if the stern expression on his face was to be believed. Light coughed slightly into his hand, raising an eyebrow at his rival. "What is it, Light-kun?"

"You will actually have to explain yourself, as I doubt Matsuda and my father have come to the same conclusion that we have." A gob smacked look of incredulity crossed his father's face. Light frowned; apparently Mello wasn't the only bad influence. He was usually much more careful about concealing the extent of the disparity between his own deductive powers and those of his colleagues. It tended to keep grudges and whispers of nepotism to a minimum if he was a bit more subtle about displaying his genius. Obviously L had no such compunctions, as he sighed heavily before continuing.

"Clearly, L will just need to remove the investigation from the NPA."

Soichiro sputtered indignantly, but L spoke right over him as though he didn't exist. Light fought down a smile with difficulty; there were so many times he had wished that he was uncaring and, well, _rude_ enough to express his irritation at having to explain himself constantly.

"Despite the NPA having some jurisdiction due to the additional murder victims being Japanese citizens, L is known for simply removing the local forces from the equation in his cases. This alliance is actually quite rare for us. Watari will simply go to Commissioner General Nakamura in the morning and remove the NPA from the case, as well as removing the six of you still working this case at the NPA headquarters to an alternate location for its duration. We still believe it to be an advantage to utilize the group of you for the investigation."

"And you believe Nakamura-taicho will simply agree with this request?" Soichiro asked, clearly aghast.

Mello and Matt collapsed into laughter, and even Near allowed himself a giggle. L, his mouth twisting in his attempts to contain his mirth, met Soichiro's eyes squarely.

"Ah, Yagami-san. Who do you think we are?"

To his father's annoyance, even Light was now laughing; he simply couldn't help it.

"It will not _be _a request. It will be an order."

.

.

_5 October 2010, 4 pm: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

L admitted that he was, for once, at a bit of a loss. Each new day had brought with it another murder, each victim exactly following the pattern he had predicted. The algorithm had been finished the previous evening, and by this morning had faithfully provided a list of possible victims indexed by relevance to the killer's pattern and Norse mythology. Unfortunately, all five of the Japanese victims were at the top of the list; attempts were being made by his NPA team to locate the most imperiled of the remaining matches with limited success. The notes found on each victim still yielded pieces of the Poetic Edda, but now included rhyming taunts and riddles such as he had received in Loki's introductory challenge. NHK continued to report on facts of the case they should never have been able to discover, and no progress had been made in discovering the mole. Worst of all, forensic analysis of the bodies and crime scenes and detailed examination of the notes yielded absolutely _nothing_- no possible suspects, no shred of physical evidence. L was beginning to think that these murders were the impossible- the perfect crimes.

And then there was Light.

Light, who analyzed and speculated with all the brilliance of his namesake.

Light, who now stayed up to all hours of the night finishing his profile on Loki with a stubborn determination that put even him to shame.

Light, who bickered and laughed with his heirs as though he had always been one of them.

Light, whose acumen and elegance shone even more when he was off-guard and fighting mad, as he often was with L.

Light, whose death was outlined in greater detail with every murder; to whom the danger grew with each inked rune.

L was a being designed for evaluation and deduction, and found himself unable to turn that ability off with regards to the changes in his own self. His fascination with Light had taken a rather dangerous turn in the last few days, running from rabid curiosity into admiration, lust, and grudging affection. He had rather hoped that spending essentially twenty-four hours a day with the man would abrogate his emotions. After all, Light was arrogant, rash, devious, argumentative, and possessing of a rather nasty temper.

_If that isn't a case of the pot complementing the kettle's complexion, I don't know what is._

All right, so the two of them were practically identical in personality. They both hid themselves behind illusory personas in public, designed specifically to manipulate the opinions of the public (albeit very different opinions). What he found so compelling about Light, though, was that the man's typical paranoia disappeared almost completely with L and he actually was _himself_- the real Light, in all his faults and all his glory. And L was hooked, completely and absolutely.

He was having some trouble staying focused on the case, to be frank. He found himself staring at Light constantly, his eyes following the restless man around the suite. Though he was certainly smart enough to stay out of the bed at night, he couldn't seem to stop watching the young detective as he slept; he still blushed whenever they touched, remembering how Light had felt in his arms. He was acting, L mused sourly, like a hormonal teenager with his first crush.

A muffled argument caught his attention from the corner where Light was ensconced in an overstuffed armchair, reviewing the files on the higher-ups of the legal department linked to the NPA. Mello was on his knees in front of the brunette, clasping his hands and staring into his eyes while a low, unintelligible stream of words issued from a mouth that was for once not leering. L snorted; he doubted highly that faux-sincerity would get the boy into Light's good graces and parts beyond. As expected, Light merely sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Mello's hands came up above his head, clasped as though in prayer, and his head bowed low. _Has he really resorted to begging? Granted, Light is a very attractive man, but I certainly did not expect Mello to become so pathetic in his pursuit of sex._

Light sighed again, shook his head in resignation, and gave Mello a pat on the head. The boy beamed up at him, throwing his arms around the detective's neck in glee. L started out of his chair. Light wasn't really going to…?

Mello ran over to Matt, whispering furiously in his ear and tugging on his arm, while Light walked over to the comm. link and clicked on the microphone.

"Near? This is Light."

"Yes, Light? What can I do for you?"

"Could you come upstairs and look at something for me, please?" Light requested, rolling his eyes and trying to avoid Matt's attempts to tackle-hug him.

"Certainly. I will be up momentarily."

L frowned deeply. _What does Near have to do with anything? Don't tell me that Light-kun has sunk to the level of those brats in pranking the boy._

Near pushed his way gently through the door and was nearly bowled over by Mello running out, dragging Matt by the hand excitedly. Twirling his hair in one hand, the boy made his way over to the table Light was now bent over, arranging something L couldn't see.

"What did you wish me to examine, Light?"

Light turned with a soft smile that made L's breath catch in his throat, revealing a Go board and two cups of steaming tea.

"I was actually wondering if you would humor me with a game, Near." Light shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Mello and Matt aren't exactly suited to slow games of strategy, and L is quite busy at the moment. I need someone who will give me a challenge."

Near's mouth twitched at the corners. "Oh?" He sat carefully in the closer seat, drawing one leg up to his chest. "I…would like that very much."

"Good." Light took his own seat across from Near, and the two began a slow, cautious battle.

L rubbed at his chest, which began to ache unexpectedly. _He brought Near up here so that Mello and Matt could have some time alone, _L mused. _And he kept Near busy in a way that would include him rather than insult or deflect. He…cares about them. Light barely knows them, is usually self-centered, and yet put aside his work so that he could accommodate the boys. _L let out a rueful breath, ruffling his bangs. _This hardly helps vitiate my infatuation with the man._

A heavy hand on his shoulder shook him from his reverie. Looking up, L met Quillish's all-too-knowing gaze with trepidation.

"Come with me, L. We have much to discuss."

With a last look at Light and Near, L followed Watari back to the bedroom, where a strawberry cheesecake and tea awaited him. L sat on his haunches in a club chair, picking up a slice and dismantling it while avoiding the elder man's eyes.

"L, I know what is troubling you."

"Of course you do. The case is frustrating in the extreme, it is only to be expected that I experience some irritation with it," L replied, trying for distraction.

"Don't prevaricate," Quillish admonished. "I am neither stupid nor naïve. I am well aware of what is going on here."

L sighed; there really was no point in trying to lie to the man who had raised him and was quite the genius in his own right. "I am…acting like an irrational child. Like a hormonal teenager with a _crush_." He practically spat the last word, his disdain for such illogical behavior evident in every syllable.

"L, do you remember when you were sixteen and you decided you wanted to know what all the fuss was about sex?"

L's cheeks ignited, and he coughed into his tea. "Of course. The experiment was a failure, if you recall."

"Interpersonal relationships aren't _experiments _L. Do you remember what I told you then?" Quillish pressed.

_Of course I remember, _L thought as he drove the tines of his fork particularly hard into a strawberry. _It was humiliating._ After a series of cases involving rape or crimes of passion, L had felt the need to understand why people were willing to go to such lengths for sex. He supposed his confusing hormones may have had something to do with it as well. Watari had reluctantly agreed to procure a prostitute for L so that he could experience sex for himself. He found the act both baffling and unsatisfactory, and had thus resolved to cover all the possibilities by attempting congress with a male prostitute as well. Both encounters had left him feeling low and rather begrimed, and completely uncomprehending of why anyone would go to extremes for such underwhelming moments of pleasure. Quillish had simply sighed and told his charge that he had expected such a result.

"_L, some people are not built for such casual encounters. Some, like myself for the record, only find sexual intimacy fulfilling and pleasurable when our emotions are engaged as well. In other words, some people need the mind and the heart to be involved in the act as well as the body. I suspect that you might be one of those."_

"_The mind and the heart?" L snorted. "Then I will never find such acts fulfilling or comprehensible, for there is no such person in this world that could engage those for me."_

_Quillish heaved a world-weary sigh at that. "We'll see, L. It would certainly take someone very unusual and improbable, certainly. But that person may yet exist. Do not give up on love completely at sixteen."_

"What of it?"

"Your incomprehensible situation has arisen, L. Yagami Light is that improbable person we discussed; he challenges your mind, intrigues your heart, and attracts you physically. You are acting like a lovesick teenager because you never experienced these feelings when you actually were in your teens like everyone else. One question remains, though- what will you do?"

"One question?" L snorted. "A thousand questions. Has he noticed? What will he say if he does notice? How do I work like this; how does _anyone_ get anything done like this? How do I rid myself of this ridiculous infatuation? All those and more."

"Rid yourself?" Quillish sounded stunned, surprisingly. L was unsure of why this would be the case. Clearly his feelings for Light were neither practical nor possible, with who he was and how he worked. "L, Light is quite possibly the only one in this world with whom you could form a true and lasting connection. Could you really walk away from this case and simply leave him here in Japan, never to speak to him again unless a case demanded it, knowing what could have been?"

L laughed, the sound brittle even to his own ears. "What 'could have been' is _illusory._ I work in the shadows, my face and my name unknown. Light-kun is not made for such a life- he _shines_. We have known each other for exactly four days; this is hardly grounds for changing our whole lives. Romance is illogical at best and interferes with my work, at the worst it could get one of us killed. This is, of course, ignoring the fact that Light-kun would never develop a romantic affinity for an oddity like myself."

Quillish shook his head sadly. "You counted out love at sixteen, and do the same at thirty. There comes a time for every man where he finds himself faced with a decision that will make or break his life, L. This is yours. Consider it carefully."

L put down his plate as Quillish walked out of the room, leaving his ward to his thoughts. For once in his life, the Great Detective L had lost his appetite.

.

.

_6 October, 2010: Unknown Location, Tokyo_

Deep in the bowels of subterranean Tokyo, a giant lay dreaming. Loki drifted, allowing his labyrinthine mind to see beyond the stygian blackness and imagine the world above.

"A world that will soon be mine," he mused contentedly. "Purged of _HIS _duplicity." His plan was proceeding beautifully: he would turn the sun dark and cause the earth to sink into the sea, throw the hot stars down from the sky and let the flames leap high unto heaven itself. Loki smiled into the gloom. The "World's Greatest Detective" had no _volva_ to consult for portents of the future. There would be no mystical warnings for L, no predictions except for those meager clues he chose to leave on his poor, broken victims. He would rip the light from the hands of the gods and leave only the Cimmerian shade of despair.

_The Light…yes, I will tear L's Light away, but not before I utterly shatter him. _Loki's thin lips twisted in sudden anger. _That presumptuous boy who has the temerity to believe himself L's equal, the arrogant man-child who actually caught and __**held**__ his attention. _

During his imprisonment in the Cavern, Loki had continued to receive word on the outside world; his daughter Hel watched L's movements in particular. Or rather the movement of his little successors, as L was far too skilled to leave much of a trace. Nearly a year ago, he had learned that the ravens were spending an inordinate amount of time in Japan despite L's lack of involvement in the Japanese crime scene. Hel had traced their interest to a single detective, a genius of such caliber that Loki knew immediately why L was obsessed. The Night God's Moon, who shone like the sun; Light Yagami would be the key to L's undoing. His challenges to the boy were already thrown, warnings of the inevitability of his doom. Of course, L thought himself capable of preventing his death by wrapping the young detective in cotton wool, keeping him at his side day and night.

_Good, _he mused. _Let him keep the would-be god of justice close; let him allow the boy into his heart as he has no other before. Then and only then will the sting of his loss compare to the pain I have suffered. _Loki's hand drifted of its own accord to thick scars, gnarled flesh that was his gift from his one and only encounter with L. _Soon, my revenge will be at hand. Then, when the great and powerful Alfodur is broken and slain at my feet, I will assume his throne and Midgard will be born anew. _Laughter rang out through the empty caverns, echoing the sound of madness in the dark.

_Soon._

_._

_._

_6 October 2010, 6 pm: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

.

The translation of the latest murder note finished on the computer with a cheery ding that belay the news contained therein. Light's jaw dropped slightly as he scanned the taunting words, and he found himself yet again struggling to resist the urge to go straight to his family and friends to make sure they were safe.

_This bastard's getting tired of pushing the symbolism of the stars and the heavens. He's ready to start going after the law, now that he has our attention. _The paper crinkled warningly under his tightening fingers. _Better let L see this. Depending on which of his apparently bipolar personalities is in charge today at any rate, considering one of them seems to be avoiding the hell out of me._

Ever since Light had been installed in the penthouse suite, L had fluctuated between absurdly intense scrutiny of him and awkward avoidance. Games of chess and Go alternated with stony silence. A companionable spar in the gym followed by a retreat to the downstairs suite for hours. Just last night, the great detective sat on the bathroom counter while Light got ready for bed, swinging his bare feet like a child while trading barbed banter; this morning saw the man glaring moodily into his sugar-laden coffee.

_Well, the hell with him; I don't know why I even care. _Light thought irritably. _He's impossible to work with, treats me like his best friend in the world one moment and a suspect the next, and goes out of his way to needle me. I swear, he's like a kid just hitting puberty, pestering his first crush._

That thought stopped Light dead in his tracks, aligning L's behavior perfectly for the first time. All those seemingly random mood swings suddenly made a horrific sort of sense. Light paused in front of the door to the study, hand on the knob as his mind processed his conclusion.

_He's isolated, and paranoid. He must have started in detective work in his early teens, from his case history and current age. If he didn't have a normal childhood, he actually might act like a teenager the first time he developed an…affinity for someone. He's been watching me for a long time- perhaps even developed this type of interest before he met me in person. It would explain the odd intensity of that first meeting, the way he swings through wanting to pull me closer and push me away. _A snort escaped Light involuntarily. _The Great Detective isn't used to experiencing something he is not immediately good at, something he doesn't understand even after dismantling it. Those times he shuns me must be his attempt to process his feelings and come at them from a logical standpoint. Too bad that's not how emotions work._

A quiet strain of music could be heard through the study door, the rich, round tones of the grand piano. Light gently nudged the door open, making no sound as he eased himself inside the room. L sat at the instrument as Light had predicted, his back to the detective and his feet for once on the floor so he could reach the pedals. Long white fingers curved over the shining keys, coaxing a gentle melody from the ivories. It struck Light suddenly how L seemed almost an extension of the piano itself- a study of pure white and raven black. Since this was L, he was unsurprised that the tune wasn't Mozart or Chopin or Beethoven but REM. Light smiled gently; the urge to be a part of the serene tableau rising strongly within him. The latest news was so disturbing that he could use a moment of quiet contemplation before the storm. L was engrossed in the music, his eyes closed, and never even noticed Light creeping up behind him. _Well, you did taunt me about this, but let's see what you think._

"_I don't know why you're mean to me, when I call on the telephone. And I don't know what you mean to me, but I want to turn you on, turn you up, figure you out, I want to take you on…"_

.

L's fingers faltered only a single note as Light's smooth tenor sounded in his ears, singing along with the melody as it unfolded. It was everything he imagined it would be- rich and soft and wholly, unfairly sexy. The lessons the other man had taken had obviously molded an already considerable talent, and the corners of his mouth began to tip up almost against his will. He knew Light had probably come after him with dire tidings about the translation of the latest note, but for the moment there was nothing but the two of them and the music. The younger man sat down on the wide bench next to L but facing the other direction, his right hip pressed against L's in a thoroughly distracting fashion as they wandered through the verses together. Light's voice seemed to carry the full weight of the conflicted emotions in the song, which L had chosen in the hopes of working through some of his own tangled feelings. _Does he know? It's probably just my imagination and his training that makes it seem as though he is singing just for me. But…_

"_I tripped and fell- did I fall? What I want to feel, I want to feel it now…you know with love comes strange currencies, and here is my appeal. I need a chance, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, a word, a signal, a nod, a little breath…"_

L opened his eyes and shifted his gaze sideways to Light just as the man did the same. Onyx eyes met sanguine amber and locked. Two sets of cheeks flushed, but Light's mouth curled up on one side and he continued to sing.

"_Just to fool myself, to catch myself, to make it real- real. These words- 'you will be mine'. These words- 'you will be mine', all the time, oh. These words- 'you will be mine'." _

L swallowed with difficulty as Light's gaze seemed to smolder and his voice grew husky.

"_These words, they haunt me, hunt me down, catch in my throat, make me pray, say love's confined, oh…"_

He didn't quite know how he managed to finish the last few lines of the melody with Light's regard weighing so heavily on him, but the end notes echoed gently in the room as proof of that achievement. For a few endless moments neither spoke, though L could feel his face reddening even further. Light's eyes still bored into his own, seeming to search for something L could not quite define. He must have found it, because the man's lips quirked and he broke the heavy silence that lay between them.

"The newest letter has been translated. You need to see it, now."

L nodded, rising from the bench and resuming his normal slouch. He loved the piano, but staying upright for that long tended to hurt his back. Light led him back to the computer terminals, wordlessly turning over the printed translation sheet. A lesser observer might not have noticed the way the younger man's fingers trembled when he did so, or the agitated set of his shoulders. L frowned, dark eyes scanning the page in his hands before bringing up the other letters on the remaining monitors so he could see them of a piece. It was no wonder, he thought, that Light was so nervous. Loki was focusing completely on him now and not L, and furthermore on…

"Light-kun?"

"Yes, L?" came the terse response.

"I think that it is high time," he replied with the ghost of a smile on his lips, "that I met the rest of your family."

Light laughed, a relieved bark of sound that lightened the tension in the room considerably. "My goodness, so soon? Moving a bit fast aren't you? Moving in with you, meeting my family- what's next, a ring?"

"Of course not Light-kun. I'm saving that for when we've known each other for _two_ weeks."

L began to dial Watari with instructions, so he nearly missed Light's quiet reply behind him.

"Thank you, L."

Surprised at the clear gratitude and…something else he couldn't quite define in Light's eyes, L lowered the phone.

"Of course. Light-kun will not be of much use in this investigation if he is too worried about his family to remain on task," he answered, fumbling with the charm on his cell phone. He looked to the floor, cursing his sudden clumsiness, so he missed the younger man's movement. Soft press of lips on his cheek, chestnut hair in his vision.

"Light-kun?" _Did he just…kiss me?_

"Even if it was for practical reasons, I am still thankful that they will be safe." Light smiled, a tentative, fragile thing quite unlike his usual arrogant smirk. "I'm going to go get us some tea, and then we'll go over all the notes together."

L watched Light's retreating figure dumbly, thumb to his lips.

_He just kissed me. Bloody hell. _


	7. Balder's Draumer

_Author's Note:_

_Thanks to all who continue to read and review- it really helps motivate me. But horrible semester was horrible! Too. Many. Essays. To. Grade. I've seen so much poor grammar that I felt like my own was slipping. _

_The name of this chapter refers to one of the shortest poems in the Eddic series, wherein Balder has nightmares that lead Odin to consult a volva about his son's fate. The storyline is very similar to the Voluspa, though much more succinct at only 14 stanzas. It means "Balder's Dreams". _

_One of Light-o's quotes this chapter is directly from Episode 17 of the English Dub. Can you spot it?_

_Also, Café de l'Ambre is a real place- the oldest coffee shop in Tokyo dating to 1948._

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did. _

.

**Chapter Six: Balder's Draumar**

**.**

_7 October 2010, 1 pm: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

.

Light Yagami frowned deeply at the bank of computer screens and portable whiteboards in front of him. To his left, L was meticulously stripping pocky sticks of their chocolate coating, head tilted slightly to one side like that of a curious cat. Vague grey eyes gave Light the impression that the man was processing the case particulars in his head and coming to a conclusion he did not particularly like. Light sighed; clearly L wasn't going to admit to being stumped.

"We're missing something," he offered. L tipped his head to the opposite shoulder, reminding the younger detective strongly of an owl. "I feel like there's something very important here that we just aren't seeing."

"And what would that be, Light-kun?" L inquired blankly.

"If I _knew_ that, I wouldn't be _missing_ it you ass."

L grinned wolfishly.

"That had to be hard to admit."

"You aren't seeing it either, professor. Maybe if we align the verses again, and look for codes within them…"

L was already shaking his head. "No need. If there was a code our perpetrator would not have _thoughtfully_ supplied us with taunting rhymes after the fact."

L pressed his thumb pensively to his lower lip. Light was momentarily distracted by the soft pale flesh denting around the digit, the smooth and somewhat suggestive stroking gesture the elder man made with the pad of his thumb.

"No," L continued, oblivious. "Our Loki does not wish for any mistakes on our part regarding his intent, and…Light-kun? Are you quite well?"

Startled out of his contemplation of his odd companion's lips of all things, Light felt a heat climb up the back of his neck and to his cheeks.

"Yes, I am fine. Just processing."

L nodded, unphased. "Still, the increasing threat of the verses used…"

"Aa." Light unthinkingly slipped back into his native dialect. He touched his fingers gently to the boards, rearranging the letters and their translations into order once more. "Let's just start over," he sighed. "Victim One, October 1st- UK Ambassador to Japan David Warren, accompanying verse is from the Voluspa and warns of the coming of Ragnarok.

I saw there wading | through rivers wild  
Treacherous men | and murderers too,  
And workers of ill | with the wives of men;  
There Nidhogg sucked | the blood of the slain,  
And the wolf tore men; | would ye know yet more?"

"Victims Two and Three, October 2nd- pop stars Hinata Megumi and Amano Tsuki, accompanying verse is identical for both and is also from the Voluspa, detailing the fall of the sun and the moon as the first signs.

The giantess old | in Ironwood sat,  
In the east, and bore | the brood of Fenrir;  
Among these one | in monster's guise  
Was soon to steal | the sun from the sky.

Would ye know yet more?" L took over for Light, his monotone blandly recapping the details of the murders. "Then, his verse structure shortens a bit. Victim Four, October 3rd- pop star Hoshimura Mai, accompanying verse is a fragment of the Voluspa, speaking of the fall of the stars from the heavens.

The stars knew not | where their stations were.

Would ye know yet more?"

Light nodded. "He seems to believe that we will understand his point by this time, and just selects the pertinent lines from the verse. Victim Five, October 4th- pop star Matsuda Seiko, with the second half of the verse from Victim Four.

Laws they made there | and life allotted,  
To the sons of men| and set their fates.

Would ye know yet more?"

"Victim Six, October 5th- pop star Kuata Keisuke of the band _Southern All Stars_," Light snorted. "Now he's just reaching. The verse here is from the Balder's Draumer this time and he's done talking about signs. Now he's just making it clear he's coming after me.

Hoth thither bears | the far-famed branch,  
He shall the Bane | of Balder become.  
And steal the life | from Odin's son.  
Unwilling I spake | and now would be still.

Would ye know yet more?"

Rubbing his fingers on his temples, Light made a discontented sound in his throat. "Not to mention he included a lovely taunt in this one:

To you, aLfodur, who dispenses Justice from Hlidskialf on high-

The time had come to show your might, yet your treasure was hidden away in fright-

The Fair One caged in a dwelling of steel, that Light banked and brought to heel-

Though mistletoe be of the winds and the wild, in the city still will find beauty's child-

Though Frigg's guise you take to protect what is dear, still Balder will fall in blood and in fear."

"Then of course there is last evening's victim. Victim Seven, October 6th- Hara Yuko, also of the band _Southern All Stars_, accompanied once more by a verse from the Voluspa.

I saw fair Balder | the bleeding god,  
The son of Odin | his destiny set.  
Famous and fair | in the lofty fields.  
Full grown in strength | the mistletoe stood."

"And yet another rhyme afterwards," Light added. "If I ever get a hold of this guy…

To you, aLfodur, who dispenses Justice from Hlidskialf on high-

Kept in the cage the child will remain, wrapped in wool to protect from all pain-

Shielded now by warrior's might, beauty's tower of insurmountable height-

Still the smallest of plants will seek out the heart, the blind one rises to play its part-

Set in blood and in death Balder's destiny lies, two will lie broken with the demise."

Light heaved a huge breath, ruffling his cinnamon fringe. "So the gist of all these deaths is that the stars have fallen, the fate of the gods- the law - is set, and I'm fucked. Gods, this guy is a douche."

L's sudden burst of laughter surprised a wry smile from the morose young detective. "I do not expect that officers of the law usually use such terms to refer to their quarry, Light-kun. Perhaps Mello is a poor influence on you?"

"Mello," Light chuckled, "is a poor influence on anyone around him. I think that his ultimate goal is the abject corruption of anyone that comes in contact with him."

"What am I, a bloody disease?"

Both detectives turned to find Mello and Matt leaning against the door frame to the main suite; the former unamused and the latter quite obviously tickled.

"A social disease, most likely," Light muttered. "At least, judging from those damnable pants you choose to wear."

Mello flounced into the suite with a model's catwalk strut, twirling outrageously when he reached his favorite target. "You're just jealous because I can make 'tart' look _good._"

"As though I am remotely interested in wearing leather pants," Light scoffed.

"_I'm_ interested in Light-o wearing leather pants," Matt interjected, leering over the screen of his DS.

"Not Matt too," L sighed. "Will Near will be making inappropriate and suggestive overtures to Light-kun as well?"

"Near couldn't make an inappropriate or suggestive comment to save his lily white arse," Mello sniffed. "Besides, I'm not entirely sure Near is bent. I mean, he thought Gevanni was dishy but so does anyone with a pulse. I've never seen him so much as glance at Light's rather remarkable backside."

Ignoring that comment, Light chose to arch one fine eyebrow at his companion. "I believe that leaving yourself out of the list is inaccurate. After all, you _did_ imply yesterday that I could expect a marriage proposal from you next week."

"Oh _really?_" Mello drawled. "Proposing is going a bit far to get your oats, isn't it?"

Despite his tenuous grasp of British slang, Light certainly got the point of the phrase and blushed. L, however, actually played along and stuck his nose up in the air disdainfully.

"Clearly my intentions towards Light-kun are purer than yours. His best interest thus lies in rejecting those only interested in negotiating their rather obvious way into his knickers."

"Your accent slipped out a little there L," Light stage-whispered. "Not that I wasn't aware you were British in the first place."

L's lips twitched slightly. "It was terribly unwise of Light-kun to mention that, as now he will never be allowed to leave." Light found himself flushing deeper at the very thought, causing L to withdraw into his chilly demeanor once more. "But enough nonsense, as we do have a murder case on our hands."

"Oi, aren't you all over the map today," Mello retorted, flipping his mentor the bird. Light froze suddenly, the patterns finally clicking into place in his mind. He clutched Mello's shoulders roughly.

"What did you just say?"

"I wasn't insulting you, lovey, just the robot here."

"No, you said _all over the map._ Mello, you're a damned genius." Light pressed a joyous kiss to the blonde's forehead, ignoring L's indignant snort and rushing over to the computer banks. "That's the other pattern- the _map_. Why the hell didn't we map out the locations of the murders before to look for a pattern there? Doesn't matter, we will now."

Light's fingers flew over the keys, bringing up a map of Tokyo. "L, read me the locations each body was found, would you?"

L looked slightly startled at the order, but complied. "Warren was found at the British Embassy in Chiyoda. Amano in Arisugawa Park in the Hiroo district of Shibuya, Hinata in her apartment in the Omotesando district of Shibuya, and Hoshimura at Atago Shrine in Minato. Matsuda was found on the Ginza Expressway overpass near Imperial Park, Kuata in the Grand Prince Hotel in Akasaka, and Hara in the Aoyama Itochome underground station."

"Okay, so when we plot those out, this is what we get." The map popped up again, this time with glowing red stars marking out the crime scenes. "Gods be damned, I'm not fantastic at three-dimensional conceptualization."

Matt glanced up from his DS for all of two seconds before replying. "Parallel lines, two of them, starting in the southwest quadrant and angling towards the northeast. Guy's probably OCD like you two freaks."

Light and L both tilted their heads slightly. "Aa," Light sighed. "Well, if that's the case then we can probably extend out the lines both directions and concentrate our surveillance along those routes. From my profile, Loki is not the type to deviate from his modus operandi; he would find it almost offensive to do so."

"Agreed. If Mello could contact Near to inform him of this development?"

"On it, guv." Mello headed back for the door, but was stopped short when Watari strode in, a tense set to his shoulders.

"Watari? What has happened?" L questioned, craning his neck around his mentor to the person hiding in the shadows of the doorway. "Who…?"

Watari held up his hands in defeat. "I did attempt to prevent this, but she was ridiculously persistent and stubborn…"

"You heartless, pompous, perfidious poltroon!" A slender finger pointed in accusation directly at Light's heart, stabbed forcefully by the slight figure in Watari's shadow. Light felt his face growing hot with rage. What the _hell_ was she doing here?

"Stridulent, asinine harridan!"

"Anal-compulsive freak!"

"Bitch!"

"Fag!"

Mello, Matt, and L's heads swiveled between Light and the short, dark-haired girl in the doorway as though their argument was a perverse tennis match. The insults quickly devolved in tone, and after the last the newcomer hurled herself at Light, throwing her arms around his neck and slamming him into the ground.

"Ow…damnit, Sayu! That hurt."

"You just disappeared, you jerk!" Light's sister sobbed into his neck. "And then mother and I have to hear all this garbage from that _thing_ on the news, that you're up to your eyes in this crazy case, and we were so worried!"

Sayu hardly paused for breath in her tirade, beating her fists on Light's chest as he tried to stroke her hair and back soothingly.

"I'm sorry, Sayu, but this is fucking _classified_. And for kami's sake, you're supposed to be in protective custody! What the hell were you thinking bullying Watari into bringing you here?"

"I wanted to tell you in person that you're an ass, that's what! You could have at least called."

"I think I like this crazy bird," Mello whispered to Matt. Light sighed, rubbing his temples and ignoring the peanut gallery.

"I wasn't exactly expecting to be practically kidnapped from the station, you know. I had no choice in this," he complained, dragging himself to his feet and attempting to pry his little sister's clinging arms from his waist. Unsuccessfully. Instead, Sayu chose to toss her dark hair out of her eyes and glare at the boys assembled slack-jawed in front of her.

"So who the hell are you guys?"

"I _really_ like her," Mello grinned, bending down on one knee before Sayu to kiss her hand. "You can call me Mello, love, and the redhead is my boyfriend Matt. We work for L, who is heading this investigation."

Sayu's expression turned speculative. "Yeah, yeah. Nii-chan here has a serious case of hero worship for that guy," she said, ignoring Light's embarrassed protests behind her. "And you, emo-kid?"

L, cheeks a bit pink and trying to avoid Light's eyes, gave Sayu his best vacant stare.

"Sayu-chan may call me Ryuuzaki. She should also be aware that she should not be in this headquarters, and will not be allowed back here again for her own safety."

Being the true hell spawn she was, Sayu simply snorted. "Says you and what army, _Ryuuzaki?_ And you could at least try to come up with a better pseudonym." A wry look around. "That goes for all of you except Red, by the way."

Matt chuckled, a strange sound when mixing with the ominous Super Mario dungeon theme emitting from his DS. "I like this chick, too."

"You would," muttered Light, rubbing his temples again. A major migraine was threatening, killing any elation from his recent headway on the case. "He's right, Sayu, you can't be here. I'm…rather happy that you were worried about me, but this case is very dangerous and requires all of our combined efforts."

"Combined efforts? As in, you are working with other people willingly?" Sayu replied incredulously, squinting her eyes at the odd assemblage. "Ah. They're crazy geniuses too, huh? Congratulations- you've managed to find the only people in the world weirder than you. You should probably marry one of them as it's the only chance someone will be able to stand you."

"Sayu!"

"What?" his sister responded innocently. "Not like anyone with half a brain would be surprised that you ride the bone rollercoaster, nii-chan. You're too pretty to be straight."

Mello choked laughing at Light's horrified expression, and rained kisses on Sayu's amused face. "Oh, she's _priceless_. Can we keep her, dad?"

Watari's moustache twitched. "Sayu-chan is not a stray kitten, Mello. However, you may keep her company for the remainder of the day, as I am not traipsing back and forth out of what is supposed to be an unknown location with someone we are supposed to be protecting."

"Lovely. Come on, dearie, we can swap embarrassing stories about your brother while eating lots of chocolate."

"Win." Sayu smiled, but turned to her brother with a serious expression. "Promise you'll stay safe, nii-chan, and I promise I'll stay put after this okay? For me and mom."

"Okay, Sayu." Light blushed again as Sayu squeezed him tightly around the waist once more.

"Watari, I have some new and rather disturbing news on…oh. I was not aware that we had…company."

Near fidgeted nervously in the doorway, twisting the hem of his white shirt around his fingers.

"Wow, are you actually wearing _pajamas?_ You guys get weirder and weirder. So what's your name, Snowflake?"

Light sighed again, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. That migraine was assured now- damn all little sisters to the blackest pits of hell. Near, to his shock, did not seem offended. In fact, he turned completely red and shuffled his feet.

"You may call me Near," he whispered. "And you are Yagami Sayu, correct?"

"Yeah. Kind of creepy that you know that just by looking, but whatever. Are you a freaky genius too?"

Near's fingers slipped from the bottom of his shirt to a curl in the front of his pale hair. "Um, yes?"

"Is that a question or an answer, cutie?" Sayu laughed. "Hey, I'm starving. Why don't you and the homo twins back here take me someplace where I can get something to eat, and get out of my brother's face before he explodes?"

"Okay." Near squeaked as Sayu grabbed his arm and marched him out the suite door, Mello and Matt following while making exaggerated kissy-faces behind their backs. Shaking his head good-naturedly, Watari followed.

"We'll get on that security detail after we find some lunch for Sayu-chan, Ryuuzaki. I'll return in a few hours."

"That was…odd," L said slowly once he and Light were alone again. "Is she always like that?"

Light sighed. "Fatally annoying? Yes. She didn't used to be quite so quick with sarcasm and insults, but we started spending more time together after my internship with the police, and I think that I may have corrupted her somewhat." Light fought the fond smile threatening his lips to no avail. "Berating me is her way of letting me know she was worried. Sayu has become a bit _tsundere_ these last few years."

"Mmm. Well she and Mello will probably get along fine. Or destroy the building."

"Or get along fine and conspire to destroy the building. At any rate, now that we have some damn quiet- back to work?"

.

.

_7 October 2010, 4 pm_

.

"You're sure that this is a good idea?"

L snorted. "Of course, Light-kun. We need a secure location for Yagami-san and his team to continue their part of the investigation, since they can no longer work within the official strictures of the NPA."

"Of course, I understand all that," Light sniped. "But a warehouse? How is that secure or discrete?"

"The Yellow Box warehouse will be the best of both," L insisted. "The waterfront is a veritable maze of warehouses, both in use and abandoned, and thus it would be highly improbable for a tail to be able to notice the activity of the team or nail it down to one place. And considering the high degree of yakuza dealings in the area, no one will notice if there are some…unusual security measures."

"Granted," Light responded warily. "But the waterfront district has always given me the creeps, for some reason. Possibly because I don't like yakuza cases- they are horrifyingly predictable and boring, and there really isn't much the police in Japan can _do _about them."

"Hmmm."

Unsurprisingly, Light picked up on the hidden statement in the sound. "What's that supposed to mean?"

L fidgeted with his fork for a moment, actually taking the time to consider his words for once. He mashed the frosting on his cake into the plate, drawing abstract patterns with the tines of the utensil held in a pincher-grip. "I am merely expressing my lack of surprise at Light-kun's boredom with the casework in Tokyo. It is rather minimal, predictable, and quite frankly fruitless. I cannot actually imagine that I would not go a bit insane working such cases, nor can I imagine how Light-kun will retain his own sanity working in the NPA for the remainder of his career."

Light sighed, sliding a hand through his bangs with a resigned air. "Some days I can't either. But I've never imagined myself in any other field- I really do feel very strongly about the justice system, even if it's not perfect." He gave L a sideways glance, coloring slightly. "And Interpol's been sniffing around my cases lately; I think they might be scouting me."

L snorted derisively, but was inwardly smug about the path the conversation was heading. _Time for a little nudge._ "Does Light-kun really believe that Interpol is much different from the NPA?"

"No," Light said with a subdued smile. "But it would be out of Japan. As much as I care about my family, Misa, and Matsu, I don't think I can stay here much longer. Between the boredom, the whispers of nepotism, and the irritating fame that comes from being Misa's best friend, I'm more than somewhat cornered. Plus, you know that old Japanese phrase 'The nail that sticks up is the first to be hammered'? It's very true- Japanese culture is about society and not individuals, and does not appreciate those who…stand out."

"That sounds horribly depressing," L replied. Light, apparently irritated by the direction the conversation was heading, stuck his tongue out at L.

"Not all of us have millionaire backers that allow us to become international freelance detectives, L. I'm still considering my options at this point. Might I remind you that I'm only twenty-four?"

"And who says that I had such a thing, Light-kun?"

"I don't know why I seem to have to keep reminding you that I'm not an idiot, L."

L gave Light a half-smile in response. "I am more than aware of Light-kun's attributes, having studied him quite thoroughly."

"You do know that makes you sound like a stalker pervert?

L shrugged, picking up the blinking comm. call from the new premises. "Ah, I suppose I will grant Light-kun that point. Go for L."

Yagami Soichiro's face filled the view screen, Aizawa and Mogi visible in the background fiddling with some electronics. "Basic set-up is complete, L. Mogi and Aizawa are finishing up the last of the installation, and Ukita and Ide have headed out to start patrolling the routes you projected this morning. Matsuda is currently finishing up some interviews I began in the Justice Department earlier today."

"Matsuda?"

"He looks ostensibly harmless, and is therefore the best person to send in without rousing too much suspicion. N and I have narrowed down the candidates for our mole to ten individuals, and are attempting to winnow the list further."

"Excellent."

"L, is Raito on the line?"

"I'm here Dad," Light said, clicking on his own headset.

"Raito, one of our suspects is your, er, friend Mikami's supervisor. We thought, well…"

Soichiro's voice trailed off awkwardly, clearly having some trouble with the topic at hand. Light frowned darkly, his brow furrowing.

"You thought that because I dated Mikami he might be in danger?"

There was a cold quality to Light's voice that L had not heard before, even during their many arguments.

"Well, yes. We were hoping that if you spoke to him it might not be so obvious, and you might have the best chance of convincing him to possibly keep an eye out for us," Soichiro replied, still quite obviously uncomfortable.

"You want me to ask a man that I dated to spy on his supervisor, at great risk to both his person and his career?" Light said incredulously. "That is reprehensible…"

"That is practical," L interrupted, ignoring the fierce glare from his companion. "If this Mikami is passionate about his chosen field, he will not want to see corruption prevail within it. Securing an informant within the department is far more efficient than attempting to conduct complete surveillance ourselves, particularly when we are working with such a small team." Sighing internally at the expression on Light's face, L pinched the bridge of his nose and made the call. "I agree with Yagami-san. We will contact Mikami-san and utilize Yagami-kun's prior connection to him to our benefit."

"I absolutely will not- hey!"

L ignored Light's vehement protests at having his microphone cut off, giving one last instruction to the NPA chief. "Yagami-san, you will have two more of my operatives arriving later today to assist you in the surveillance and, if necessary, manipulation of the mole suspects. N will brief you when they arrive."

"Understood."

"L out."

"New operatives?"

L tried very hard not to smile; he knew that introducing that information might momentarily distract Light enough to diffuse his anger somewhat. "Loki calls me Odin Alfodur. It is time that I acted as such- Geri and Freki shall be loosed upon our enemies."

A raised eyebrow. "Odin's pet wolves?"

"Indeed. I tamed these beasts with the threat of prosecution for their particular…talents."

"Criminals, L? Really?" Light's voice was ramping back up in both volume and irritability.

"Light-kun has been playing the game too long with veritable children. Crime in the world stage is far more brutal and convoluted than here in Japan, and one must take whatever measures are necessary to combat it."

"When one argues that the ends justify the means," Light replied heatedly, "at what point do those means become the very thing he is fighting? The line is too fine between the law and the criminal at that point. There is a significant difference between gray areas and outright hypocrisy."

"If Light-kun insists on continuing in his naïve world view, then I most certainly do not have to worry about him becoming competition for me; after all, Light-kun will not be functioning in the real world." L could feel his voice inching out of its normal monotone; he would have to calm down before he actually lost his temper. With Light already on the defensive about Mikami, a confrontation could escalate into another fist fight all too easily. "This is _my_ investigation, and this is how I operate. Light-kun will simply have to find a way to reconcile himself with that."

"You're asking too much of me," Light snapped. "You want me to look the other way when you utilize criminal elements just because they are advantageous, you want me to exploit another person's feelings for me for the sake of an investigation…what will you want next, L? Should I make some friends in the yakuza? Sleep around for information?"

L sighed, rubbing his temples in irritation. "Light-kun is engaging in a reductio ad absurdum. If he would just look at this rationally, he would see that this Mikami is our best chance to isolate our possible mole- and that only Light-kun has the connection and motive to convince him to do so."

"Mikami thinks he is in love with me, L. Regardless of the fact that he's an obsessive stalker, exploiting another person's feelings for personal gain is unforgivable."

"This is not a request, Light-kun," L said softly, placing his hands on Light's shoulders. "Contact Mikami, and set up a meeting somewhere inconspicuous but public. I am not suggesting you pretend feelings for this man that you do not possess, Light; only that you persuade him to assist the investigation in whatever way you think best."

Light's frown lightened into confusion. "I thought I wasn't to leave the suite?"

"We knew that we might have to leave the safety of headquarters at some point. You will not be unaccompanied. I will go with you myself."

"But you can't…"

L laughed. "I have pretended to be one of my own operatives many times to get on-scene discretely, Light. One advantage to no one knowing what you look like. After all, is it not how we met?"

Light closed his eyes for a long moment, and then picked up his headset with a gusty breath. Flicking on Matt's satellite bounce program, he dialed Mikami's cellular number. It was only two rings before the line clicked open.

"Raito-sama?"

"Of course he has me on Caller ID," Light groaned sotto voce. "Yes, Teru-kun. I need to speak with you as soon as possible…"

.

.

.

_7 October 2010, 10 pm: Café de l'Ambre, Ginza, Tokyo_

_._

"Stop fidgeting, Ryuuzaki."

L stopped the nervous collar-tugging that he had been engaged in for the past ten minutes with a slight wince.

"I am unaccustomed to wearing…this."

Light smirked into his cup of Brazilian Bourbon coffee and traced an abstract pattern on the polished wood tabletop with a fingertip. Due to Mello's incessant nagging, L had been disguised as well as Light for this excursion. While Light's "costume" consisted merely of tinting his hair darker with a wash-out dye, dark brown contacts, and clothes a bit tighter (and tartier) than usual, L appeared a completely different person. With his hair straightened into a neat ponytail, jeans that actually _fit_, clean Converse, and a judicious application of concealer under his eyes L could have come straight from the University. He had even straightened his posture and stopped speaking in the third person, though his lecture on behavior hadn't stopped him from complaining about the collared shirt and black denim jacket.

"You'll simply have to deal with it, as I am. I don't wear these ridiculous skinny jeans on a regular basis, you know. And stop looking so morose- you are theoretically supposed to be on a date with me and it's embarrassing."

L managed a weak, unconvincing smile before sticking his nose back into his café mocha. "For someone who was so against this course of action, you certainly look as though you are here to meet a romantic partner. Isn't that the sort of manipulation to which you were opposed?"

Light's triumph broke a bit and his fingers tightened on the delicate porcelain handle of his cup. "When I do a job, I do it thoroughly even if I do not care for it. Is there something _wrong_ with my attire, Ryuuzaki?"

From the disconcertingly direct stare he was given in response, Light got the impression that L wasn't at all disturbed by his wardrobe choice. In fact, his eyes lingered a bit longer than Light considered necessary on his collarbones and the hint of his pectorals exposed by his half-buttoned linen shirt. He was also not so socially awkward that he didn't detect the warning in Light's tone- a tone he had picked up from Misa whenever her agent suggested an outfit might make her look fat. L looked as though he had been handed a live grenade, and appeared almost relieved when Teru Mikami slid into the booth across from them.

Light steeled himself and turned on his best bright smile. "Teru-sempai! Glad you could make it on such short notice."

"It was no trouble at all, Takeshi-kun," Mikami replied, his smile equally (though genuinely) brilliant. Light relaxed into his seat, thankful that Mikami had at least remembered his alias through his fervor to see Light. "This must be your friend Ryuuzaki. Mikami Teru- a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And yours," L replied smoothly. "Takeshi-kun has spoken very highly of you."

_You ass_, Light thought, watching Mikami's face flush with pleasure. "Teru-sempai, I hate to impose, but I needed to ask for your assistance with the project I'm working on." _Come on, Mikami, pick up on the ruse._

"Ah, I'm sure that would be no trouble. Law school can be very challenging, after all."

Mikami paused a moment to order an espresso from the waitress, folding his hands under his chin gracefully. "What can I help you with, Takeshi-kun?"

"Well, I'm doing a study on professional ethics- it involves the responsibility of a public servant to report any corruption in his superiors, even at risk to his own career. Where, say, a Public Prosecutor might be leaking information about a classified police case to the press? What would you do in such a situation, sempai?"

Light leaned forward earnestly, letting his knuckles 'accidentally' brush against Mikami's as they both reached for their coffee cups. The tips of Mikami's ears turned red, but he maintained a composure that Light had to admire.

"I would have to exercise caution, Takeshi-kun," Mikami replied, sipping his espresso. "To claim such a thing without evidence would ruin a lawyer's career, and to purposefully look for such evidence could be just as dangerous, particularly with a powerful Prosecutor. One would need a good motive for such an action."

Light fought hard not to jump as he felt Mikami's leg rub gently against his under the table.

"Wouldn't a pure love for justice be a significant motive?" he answered in his best naïve student's voice.

He felt L's arm tense next to him as Mikami licked his lips slowly over the rim of his cup, spectacles glinting in the light.

"A love of…justice," Mikami repeated, running a proprietary gaze over Light's face and body. "Yes, I suppose it would be."

_Dear gods, that's creepy_. "So you are willing to assist me with my case study?"

"How could I say no to such a cute idealist, Takeshi-kun? Shall I email you when I have some new information?"

"Yes, please. Here- my new email address." Light tried to appear grateful as he scribbled the dummy account Matt had set up onto a napkin, but his skin was crawling. _The things I do for an investigation. Coming onto a stalker was not in the plan. But still- he is risking a great deal to essentially spy for me._ He sighed and added the words "be careful" underneath. Mikami threaded his fingers with Light's as he passed the paper over, drawing them lingeringly down the well of his palm as he withdrew.

"You'll excuse us, but Takeshi-kun and I still have some studying to do before tomorrow, so we really must get back," L stated, placing a hand on the small of Light's back to guide him up and away from the table. "It was nice to meet you, Mikami-kun."

Mikami returned the pleasantries and bade farewell to Light, but his eyes remained glued to L's arm at Light's waist all the way out of the café.

.

.

.

_7 October 2010, 11:30 pm_

_._

"…just saying that I do not trust this Mikami Teru, Light-kun."

"For the hundredth time, L, he is creepy but harmless. He has a very strong sense of ethics- it's one of the reasons I originally agreed to go on a date with him."

"He molested you."

The last half-hour's bickering finally caught the attention of the other occupants of the suite at the last comment. Mello and Matt both perked up from the living room (where they had been playing a fervent game of Super Smash Brothers Brawl), much to Light's annoyance.

"He didn't _molest_ me," he spat, exasperated. "He touched my hand and rubbed his leg on mine for five seconds."

"It was inappropriate."

"So was your presence _on top of me_ my first morning here, hypocrite."

"_That was not the same in the least!_" L snapped back. "You two get to your own suite!"

Light found himself being grabbed forcefully by the arm and dragged down the hall to the bedroom and relative privacy, the duo's protests echoing behind them.

"You are being difficult. I sensed something off about Mikami the entire time you were speaking. He seemed too confident and nonplussed by the information that his supervisor could be a security breach. I think we may have erred in choosing him as an inside man."

"I know Mikami, and I'm telling you that's normal for him," Light replied, trying and failing to free his arm from L's grip. L's fingers wrapped around his other bicep, turning Light to face him. His pupils were so large his eyes looked black, and barely contained rage caused his thin lips to twitch. "You were the one that wanted me to take advantage of Mikami's feelings for me to help the investigation, so you have no reason to be this unreasonable now."

L shook Light sharply, exasperation clear on his face. His nose was almost touching Light's own now. "Why will you not take my intuition on this matter into consideration?"

"Because you're acting more like a jealous boyfriend than a detective, damn it!"

Silence reigned for a long moment, L's shock apparent in his widened eyes and rapid breath. Light wished he could reach out and physically snatch the words back; he was unsure from where they even came. Unsure of their origin, but certain in their veracity and just as certain that they should have remained unspoken. Neither of them was ready for open honesty; both were too entrenched in masks and games to even admit such feelings to themselves.

"L…"

The detective's fingers were bruising as they clutched his arms, but the man did not back away. If anything, he appeared paralyzed.

"Why…why would you think that…that's absurd…"

"Tell me it isn't true, then," Light whispered. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that your distrust of Mikami has nothing to do with jealousy."

_There it is again, _Light thought helplessly. _Word vomit. What happened to your famous cool, Yagami? Has that mind you're so known for stopped working entirely?_

"It isn't jealousy," L breathed, voice steady and unwavering.

Those magnificent storm-cloud eyes met squarely with Light's chin. Shaking, Light slipped his hand under L's jaw to tip his face upwards.

"I said look me in the eyes and tell me."

"Jealousy is irrational," L replied, a quick exhale that brushed across Light's lips. He had not removed himself from Light's proximity as was his usual wont when confronted; if anything, his face seemed closer now.

"Yes."

"It impairs one's critical reasoning functions by a minimum of sixty percent."

The tip of L's nose rubbed gently against Light's, strands of mahogany and jet mingling on their foreheads as they leaned closer still.

"It does."

"It would also imply that I have feelings of a romantic nature for Light-kun, feelings which serve no logical purpose."

Light chuckled, a sound more felt than heard as it reverberated in the scant air between them.

"I do recall telling you before that romantic relationships are not based on logic."

"Yet your premise," L began, closing his eyes so that his long eyelashes whispered against Light's cheeks, "is based entirely on your assumption that a person such as myself whose life has been based on logic and reason would form such an attachment."

"I believe that I have sufficient evidence to support such a premise," Light said, his own eyes shut now against the intensity of their seemingly cold words. "As well as a reasonable method of testing that premise in a concrete rather than abstract fashion."

"Oh?"

L's response was brief, cut off by Light as he closed the final millimeter between them to capture L's lips with his own. The detective's surprise was clear; a tightening of fingers in the sleeves of his shirt, the rigidity of his usually-curved spine, a minute gasp of air that Light chased as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. L's lips were warm and a bit chapped from the constant worrying with his thumb, unmoving from shock and inexperience. Light drew back slightly only to return over and over again, one kiss becoming three, five, a dozen chaste expressions of affection. It was only when L lowered his hands to Light's waist, pulling him closer and clumsily meeting those kisses with his own, that Light pulled away.

Hands hung uselessly in the air between them as he stepped back, L seemed lost and confused. He raised one to his lips, not to make his usual self-soothing gesture but to touch his fingertips lightly to the flesh as though to ensure it was still whole. Then, eyes clouded and disheveled bangs shadowing his face, the great detective turned tail and fled.

_Test conclusive_, Light thought smugly as he headed into the bathroom to change and wash up for bed.

.


	8. The Root of Yggdrasil

_Author's Note:_

_This chapter's title refers to the root of the world tree, Yggdrasil, which in Norse mythology supported all the other realms. During Ragnarok, it was said that Nidhogg the Corpse-Tearer (a giant blind worm) would rise up from the depths beyond the roots and eat away at Yggdrasil's foundations._

_Apologies for the delay- the end of my pregnancy was a bit rough and the birth even rougher. I was in the hospital for a while and recovering for a couple months. And a word of advice, dear readers- writing while recovering from surgery and taking care of a newborn is not easy. Despite that, this work is now dedicated to my little Zane. Who can actually say "mama" now, so that says something about the delay time _

_Obviously, I do not own Death Note or its characters. There would have been far more nudity if I did. _

.

**Chapter Seven: The Root of Yggdrasil**

**.**

_8 October 2010, 2am: Subterranean Tokyo_

.

Her heels rang out on the dampened stone of the cavern as she approached, the sound announcing her presence to every predator in the gritty underground of Shinjuku. The stifling blackness pressed in on her skin, an oily weight that crept down the spine to awaken ingrained terror of dangers waiting in the dark.

She was not afraid. She was death.

She found her father draped negligently over his throne, limbs splayed like a broken marionette. A phosphorescent lamp, the room's only illumination, cast the planes of his ruined face in a macabre green as his lips twisted into a mocking grin.

"Hail, daughter," he rasped. "What news from above?"

She knelt on the stone before him, bowing her head in reverence for the man who remade her mind when all had shattered. "All is ready, father. Fenrir awaits your command to change the game."

"Fenrir has had enough fun, I think," Loki mused, twirling his fingers through the dust on the floor. A single rune, 'uruz', was drawn over and over. Hel tilted her head curiously; like most Norse runes, 'uruz' had many meanings but was often invoked to strengthen the will for the hunt. It was also, she thought with a perverse thrill, used for rites of passage.

"Father?"

"You, daughter. You shall have the pleasure of this kill. It's so important, after all- the change in the great game," he drawled. Loki's skeletal fingers reached out to tangle in Hel's long fall of black hair, running through the silken strands with a detached sort of fondness. "You know you are my favorite, don't you darling?"

"Yes, father. Thank you- I won't disappoint."

Loki laughed, a ringing sound that made the bottom-dwellers in the tunnels beyond cower in fear and loathing. "I know you won't. So deadly, my beautiful sky. I have been remiss in keeping you here in Niflheim when your honesty belongs to the world above."

His fingers retracted from her locks as the great god gathered his limbs to crouch, goblinesque, in the seat. Flaming eyes lit with the spark of madness gleamed from the shadow. "Go now, and fell us a Tree."

Hel nodded, rising once more to make her way back to the surface. A plan was already forming in her head, the kill mapped out coldly and logically just as she had been trained at the Bureau a lifetime ago.

Behind her in the blanketing dark, the Trickster smiled.

.

.

_8 October 2010, 3 pm: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

_._

Yagami Light frowned at the stack of papers in his hands, the edges crumpling under his clenched fingertips. His profile for Loki was as complete as he could make it with the knowledge they currently had amassed, but he felt that something key was missing. While all serial killers show some similarity in personality, missionary killers were not only dangerous but also extremely rare. There wasn't much literature existing on them, perhaps less than a dozen having come to light in modern times. Light was almost loath to share the report with L, sure that the great detective would have already come to most of the same conclusions.

"Light?"

He slipped his glasses down his nose, gazing up at Watari over the rims. "Yes, Watari?"

The elderly gentleman favored Light with an admonishing look, the tea tray in his hands held over the younger's head somewhat menacingly. "If I may ask, what _have _you done to L? He's been sequestered in the music room all morning, and he's been switching off between Chopin and Billy Joel. Clearly he's confused."

"Ah," Light replied, smiling. "I'm sure you heard our argument last night?" At the older man's nod, Light rose from his chair stretching his arms over his head. "I accused him of acting on jealousy rather than any logical reasoning. He was displeased."

Watari chuckled. "I imagine he was. L has never enjoyed being confronted, particularly with the evidence that he is in fact human."

"Yes, well, proving his emotional involvement by kissing him may have pushed him over the edge."

"You what?" The tray nearly dropped from Watari's hands, and Light placed a hand beneath to steady it. "Light…I do not approve of you toying with L to get the upper hand in your game. And I have high powered rifles."

An offended scowl crossed the younger man's features. "I don't believe in exploiting the feelings of others, for gain or otherwise."

"Might I take that to mean that you also have formed an attachment to L?" Watari asked, a warning note in his voice. "Considering his naiveté of social constructs and despite his seeming callousness, L's emotional state is actually rather fragile. To form a bond of this nature so quickly then lose it just the same…"

"That is not my intention," Light whispered. He found his cheeks burning as he busied his hands reordering the papers in his report. "In fact I am as unsure of all this as he is; I am just more capable of recognizing this 'bond' for what it is than L. With a case this dangerous and his unusual career circumstances, it would be foolish of either of us to dwell on what this could be rather than what it is now."

A twitch of Watari's mustache betrayed the older man's amusement to Light, though he could not for the life of him determine why this situation would inspire humor. "Ah, yes. L's…unusual career. For that matter your own has not been usual, Light. In that vein, I would like to speak to you about an important manner once this case is closed."

With that cryptic statement Watari exited the room, tea tray left behind laden with what Light now noticed was his favorite blend of gyokuro and a few light sesame cookies. He gratefully nibbled on one of the treats while contemplating the mysterious comments his colleagues kept making about his career trajectory. If he didn't know better, Light would think that L and Watari were hinting at some sort of future employment for him. He wasn't sure how he felt about that; Light was well aware of his faults and he knew he was far too headstrong to be held under the employ of a man who so clearly hated being questioned or disobeyed. L's lifestyle was similarly unappealing; while Light was no social butterfly he had no desire to become a nameless recluse constantly travelling without a home. He was after all Japanese, and the Japanese people felt strongly about roots, tradition, and family. The uncommon rapport he shared with L and the boys, the sense of purpose and challenge from like minds and convoluted cases- Light craved these, yet he was also unsure of whether he could accept the drawbacks that came with it. Best to focus, then, on the task at hand. It was time to convene the team and provide what psychological insights he could.

.

.

_8 October, 2010, 6 pm: Grand Prince Hotel, Takanawa, Tokyo_

.

Ryuga Hideki was having a fantastic week. On Monday, he returned from a disappointing shoot in Europe (honestly, the way Amane overreacted to one little pinch on the bottom) to find his agent had secured him an international ad campaign for Calvin Klein. Tuesday he had dinner with a Czech supermodel, Wednesday he received a favorable review for his latest television role from the toughest critic in Tokyo, and Thursday his new Nissan 240Z was delivered. Today, though- today took the cake. Ryuga's agent had received a call from an important Hollywood director, who was looking for a Japanese actor to star in a big-budget American remake of "Ran". He wanted one of his assistants to meet with Ryuga to go over the script and discuss the possibility of his involvement in the project. Ryuga was no fool- a film like that, a _Hollywood film_, could take his career to an entirely different level. He could be a real star; move to Los Angeles, make millions, be taken seriously as an actor rather than continuously typecast in pretty-boy love stories. And so here he was, in the bar of the Grand Prince, nursing a Yoichi single malt and waiting for his contact.

"Ryuga-san?"

Ryuga dragged his eyes from his whisky and up the mile-long legs of the woman in front of him. She was a beauty for sure, Japanese-American if he wasn't mistaken. Definitely an L.A. woman, all tight muscles and designer clothes and the slightly-cocked hip that read American attitude not demure Japanese politeness. Her long black hair was fixed in a slick ponytail, white Armani power suit crisp and precise but with a skirt a shade too short for Japanese propriety. Hazel eyes sparked impishly at him as she held out her hand to shake. Ryuga grinned; _definitely _American.

"Yes. And I assume you are from Lionsgate studio, Mrs…?" he said as he returned the handshake.

"It's Ms. actually. Shoko Maki, at your service." She nodded to his empty glass. "You are finished with your drink, then? I have the script and some demo materials for the project in my suite, if you would follow me?"

Ryuga rose from his barstool and gestured gallantly ahead. "After you, Shoko-san."

A promising career and a gorgeous assistant. Yes, Ryuga Hideki was having a fantastic week.

.

.

_8 October, 2010, 8pm: Loki Taskforce Headquarters, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda, Tokyo_

_._

Light heaved a gusty sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand. "Sayu. We talked about this. How did you get back here?"

Yagami Sayu flopped into the armchair across from him negligently, her legs dangling over one arm in a manner that would have horrified his mother, her dark head tilted backward so her hair trailed in rivers on the expensive carpet.

"Bribe-threatened Watari".

"By that you mean you threw a fit," Light said with acerbic bite, "and then followed up with puppy eyes, I assume".

Sayu favored him with an upside-down grin full of teeth, hell spawn that she was. "What do you think?"

Light swatted her stomach with his report. "I think you should be where it's safe. If I'm a target, so is everyone I care about. Oddly enough that includes you".

The smile on his sister's face faltered a bit, but she maintained her light tone. "Except L is keeping you on lock-down here, which means he deems here to be 'safe'. If the World's Greatest Detective thinks this joint is safe, I'll take it. The Wonder Twins are letting me bunk with them and Snowy downstairs".

"You are no longer allowed to watch American television," Light griped. "Though I'm sure since you got this past Watari already there is no point in me arguing. Just try not to get in the way".

Light received an indignantly thrown cushion to the gut for that statement. "I may not be a genius like you, nii-chan, but I'm not an idiot. And I'm majoring in psychology, remember? This creep could totally be my senior thesis. I'll bet your profile report says he's all kinds of messed up".

"Hardly technical or professional terminology, Sayu-chan," drawled a low voice behind the siblings. L slouched in the doorframe, nervously rubbing one bare foot on his opposite shin. "But appropriate nonetheless I am sure".

Despite the fact that he had been avoiding Light all morning, L's eyes met his squarely. A staring contest of sorts ended with Light giving the older man a slow, seductive smirk, the latter's cheeks darkening.

"Well this isn't awkward or totally gay at all," Sayu said, launching out of the chair to snatch Light's profile. "I'm taking this to the conference room to read in relative peace away from thickly unresolved sexual tension". She fairly skipped out of the room, her brother's snide voice calling after her retreating form.

"You'd have better grades if you spent more time reading profiles and less reading yaoi manga!"

A blown raspberry was the only reply, the silence falling over the two men after just as uncomfortable as Sayu had suggested. L, having no social graces whatsoever, broke it bluntly.

"Since Sayu-chan has absconded with your conclusions on Loki, perhaps it would behoove us to discuss just what transpired last night?"

"We had an argument," Light evaded obviously. He would be damned if he was the first one to admit this…whatever it was growing between them. Small victories, childish though they were, made Light's day. "I won".

L's brows knitted in clear irritation, an unusual expression on his normally emotionless features. "Light-kun is being obtuse," he sighed. "He knows very well to what I am referring"

"He is also quite busy, and needs to retrieve the other copy of his profile if we are to get anything done today".

"Light…" A note of exasperation crept into L's deep voice, teeth gritted.

"Busy," Light replied, turning his back on L in favor of flipping through the stack of folders on the table. "Here- my completed profile for the serial killer designated 'Loki'. Not that it is terribly illuminating."

L sighed, snatching the file from his hands with more force than necessary. Light fought down a smile; obviously being put off was not something to which the man was accustomed.

**Profile: "Ragnarok Murders"**

**Suspect:** Loki (Alias, no suspects at this time)

**Killer Type:** Serial. Spree-style: extended bouts of sequential killings over large period with no "cooling off" period or return to normalcy. Specifically designated "mission-oriented" killer, with intentions to rid the world of certain types of people. In this case, killer intends to strike at the justice system and eventually the detective known as "L". Organized characteristics.

**Characteristics (Typical):**

Abuse in childhood (suspected, from vengeance aimed at failed justice system)

2/3 in McDonald Triad- fascination with fire and sadistic tendencies. Previous murders and/or torture of persons and small animals highly likely

Bullied or socially isolated as a child.

Steady or typical employment highly unlikely.

**Characteristics (Atypical): **

Extraordinary IQ, estimated above 170

Unlikely to have been involved in petty crime

**PCL-R traits:**

Interpersonal- grandiose sense of self worth, manipulation of others.

Affective- lack of remorse or guilt, lack of empathy

Lifestyle- attention seeking, lack of realistic goals, impulsivity

Anti-Social- criminal versatility, early childhood behavior problems suspected

**Relevant Psychopathy Summation:**

Subject lacks empathy and a sense of guilt, is extremely egocentric, and does not conform to moral, social, or legal norms. Though exhibits ability for meticulous planning, also shows highly impulsive nature. Antisocial personality disorder and narcissism likely. Likelihood of childhood rejection by parental or authority figures is high, leading to the development of a fantasy life where the subject is in complete control. No usual facilitators (drugs, alcohol, pornography) suspected. Development from early childhood within fantasy realms, causing retardation of conscience and empathy, resulting in sociopathy.

"While this summation is certainly apt, it does not tell me much that I did not already suspect Light-kun."

"That you said 'much' implies that there was an angle you had not contemplated?" Light replied.

"Mmm. Light-kun saw fit to mention childhood issues several times in just his summation page, and," L continued, flipping through the report idly, "seems to have included a several page long speculation on such issues in the body of the report." He tipped his head to the side, nose crinkling. "Light-kun usually avoids hypotheses not based on evidence from the crime scene or communications from the perpetrator himself, so why has he done so this time?"

"Because he's too good," Light sighed, turning to the window and scanning the city line. "Loki isn't going to give us anything obvious, or any significant forensics at the scene. We have to go out on the proverbial limb if we want to catch this guy, L. It may not be my usual schema, but I'm working on intuition here. I feel very strongly that Loki's childhood may hold the key to not only his psychopathy, but also to his criminality and choice of target."

"Is Light-kun implying…"

"That you may need to look back further than your cases to find out why this man has chosen you?" Light asked, turning back to find L only a step behind him. Rather than back away, Light stepped closer, brushing a stray lock of L's hair out of his eyes. "Yes. Have you not considered this possibility?"

L shook his head, an exasperated sound escaping his pale lips. "Fruitless. My childhood was…sheltered, in a way. There was no contact with the world outside."

"Outside what?"

"Light-kun does not believe I will actually tell him details of my past, does he?"

"I don't see why not," Light returned, annoyed. "You have been watching me and studying every detail of my life for nearly a year. I doubt highly that you did not research my past as well. You know almost everything about me, L. Yet all I know of you is what I've been able to glean from your cases or surprise out of you in the last few days." Another step and Light was nose to nose with the detective, a reprise of the previous night. "Would it kill you to trust someone?"

"It very well could," L breathed, his eyes hard but as open to Light as they had been since they met.

"Then let me tell you what I have learned from observing you," Light countered, "and at least tell me whether I am right or wrong. Give me that. You _owe_ me that after dissecting my life."

L opened his mouth to disagree, but apparently thought better of it at the look in Light's eyes. "I…very well then."

"Good." Light smiled, rubbing his nose gently against L's. "You said sheltered, but it is clear you did not mean it in a figurative sense. Literally separated from the world at large. There are but a few ways this could happen to a child. First, reclusive parents. You, however, show all the hallmarks of an orphan which leads us to the second choice; orphanage. This is closer, but no orphanage in the system would yield a fifteen year old international detective. Watari is clearly your backer, which means he knew you and recognized your aptitude before you became L. Watari isn't the sort to be in someone else's employ with his fortune and obvious genius, so it is likely you were actually his ward. Judging from the similar talents and personality traits in Near, Mello, and Matt, I'd wager that Watari runs some sort of institute for gifted children, usually or exclusively orphaned. Probably somewhere in the British Isles."

L's expression remained stoic, but the same note of panic flitted across his face as when Light named his identity in the limousine. "Am I right?"

"No one but you, Light," L whispered. "No one has ever come so close as you." A slight tinge of despair crept into his deep voice. "You come _too _close for your own good. What shall I do with you?"

"You did claim I knew too much to let me leave," he replied, a smile creeping onto his face. "And I _was _promised a ring."

"Perhaps I should go about it properly and ask your father for your hand, then?" L chuckled, taking Light's hand gently in his own and rubbing a thumb across his ring finger.

"If you'd like to end up as target practice," a cheerful voice called from the doorway. "Dad isn't too keen on the boys chasing Light."

"Perfect timing as always, Sayu-chan," L sighed, releasing Light's hand and backing himself into a corner.

Sayu stuck out her tongue. "So, the boys sent me out here to grab you two. Apparently something bigger than Light's boring report just happened and Near is spazzing out. He's muttering something about 'breaking the pattern' over and over again."

L's eyes widened and he loped out of the room; Light hot on his heels and Sayu trotting behind. Serial killers like this _never_ broke pattern, Light thought with alarm. If theirs had, this case could become impossible to solve.

The monitors in the conference room showed absolute chaos; Ukita and Ide were shooting with a handheld camera at a taped-off crime scene, Mogi and Aizawa in the background frantically fighting off a horde of reporters with flashing cameras. His father was at the Yellow Box with Matsuda, both of them juggling multiple phone calls to the NPA headquarters and various other members of the team. Whatever had happened, whoever the new victim was, it was so unusual that Matt had actually dropped his video game and was combing through the previous letters and the map with Mello. The two parallel lines connecting the locations of the murders were outlined in red, but halfway across the city a new dot glowed yellow.

"Ryuzaki! Light! You have to take a fucking look at this. This guy that was hit today doesn't fit at all! Wrong name, wrong place, but the same runic letter and mmph!"

Light clapped his hand over Mello's mouth and gaped at the screen.

"I know that place. It's the Grand Prince Hotel, in Takanawa. Very classy, Misa had a shoot for a whisky ad there once. But that's not anywhere near the route."

L frowned, flickering his eyes over the crime scene footage as Matt brought stills up onto the other screens. "I am afraid I recognize our victim, as well. Is that not…"

"Ryuga Hideki!" squealed Sayu. "This bastard killed Ryuga-san!"

"Indeed, Sayu-chan. Though while he qualifies as a 'star', his name does not have a celestial meaning."

"The letter just came through the translator program," Matt interrupted. "Nothing about stars. He's talking about some tree."

"Yggdrasil, the World Tree," L whispered, rubbing his eyes. "In the myths, Nidhogg the Corpse Tearer gnawed through the base of Yggdrasil and felled it at the beginning of Ragnarok."

"And Hideki can mean 'excellent trees' in kanji," Light agreed. "Loki's done warming up. This starts the war. But the kill pattern still shouldn't have deviated. It doesn't make sense- why there? Why would someone so obsessed with symbols and meticulous planning change so quickly?"

"L, this is Yagami. NPA headquarters is demanding that the task force be returned to their jurisdiction, as the murders have only escalated. They believe you are not making any headway on the case."

"Guys…" came a tentative voice.

"Matsu here. The news networks are all over this already. Takada-san is breathing down our necks for a statement. I can't get to you right now because she's tailing me everywhere."

"Um, guys…"

"Near, please work on a suitable diversion for Ms. Takada. Yagami-san, tell the Director that I will call him personally in one hour's time to discuss this matter," L began, crouching in the nearest rolling chair. "Matsuda-san, I need you to obtain all the security tapes from the hotel. We need to see anyone with whom Ryuga-san spoke."

"Hey, guys, seriously…"

"This is the new letter?" Light frowned at the whiteboard, lips moving soundlessly as he tried to see a connection between the verse and the change in locale.

"Yggdrasil shakes | and shiver on high,  
the ancient limbs | and the giant is loose!

And of course Loki has another challenge for us:

To you, aLfodur, who dispenses Justice from Hlidskialf on high-

Frigg's gambit employed will be in vain, too easy to learn young Baldur's bane-

Beauty shielded at Odin's demand, yet still mistletoe finds the blind one's hand-

Destruction and pain await justice and love, clinched with sacrifice of the fair dove-

As Balder falls so too shall they all, who with false pretense answer Alfodur's call."

L's teeth closed on the tip of his thumb, eyes unfocused. "That is the second time he has implied two will be broken by Baldur's death. What does he _mean_?"

Light shrugged, eyes flickering between the board and the map with increasing agitation. "He also implies that he has learned whatever will allow him to kill me, which he will follow up with the deaths of anyone else with whom you associate."

"GUYS!"

"Not now, Sayu," Light snapped.

"I just thought you might explain to me why this guy's handwriting on the notes changed," she sniped. Both detectives whipped around to stare at Sayu, who appeared both curious and smug.

"Say again, love?"

"His handwriting," Sayu repeated, nudging Mello out of the way of the whiteboard. "Look- in the first letters, this one rune that looks like a wonky English letter H-"

"Hagalaz," L interrupted.

"Bless you," she deadpanned, "That rune is darker than the others, like bold type on a computer. But in this new letter, this arrow shape is darker and the H shape is normal."

"Sayu-chan is quite correct," L replied, turning to Light excitedly. "A secondary pattern, not visible until the first iteration of the primary pattern is completed."

"The map," Mello said, grabbing a red marker and drawing a diagonal line connecting the previous parallel lines delineating the murder patterns. "Not lines, a rune. These two dots were meant to be connected."

"Genius," Light muttered. "A pattern we could not possibly have seen until the new one was underway, as the previous manner of writing hagalaz would have been consistent across all the letters."

Fingers flying, Matt brought up a chart of old Norse runes. "So hagalaz apparently means both a new beginning and a negative force. Har har, this guy's a comedian. This new one, teiwaz, can mean justice, duty, or self sacrifice."

"It is also the symbol for Tyr, the god of justice. The problem with this new pattern is-"

"There is no way to predict where it will go from a single point," Light finished. "We can't tell where any more of the killings will occur without many more data points to show the direction of the arrow shape." He returned his gaze to the newest letter, musing on his profile for Loki. "He counted on us catching this. He _wanted_ us to know the pattern, to understand that we cannot hope to catch him nor prevent any further kills by studying it. He knows what we'll have to do, L. What I will have to do."

"Unacceptable."

Light shook his head. "Necessary. Neither of us can catch Loki without visiting the crime scenes in person, without doing hands-on investigation. It's how he'll get me out from under your protection to make me the next victim. He's challenging me."

"Mello, Matt, and Near are perfectly capable of performing the ground work…"

"I know they are capable, and brilliant. But Sayu just proved that sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective and new eyes to find the breakthrough." Light's golden eyes hardened. "I'm going to that crime scene, whether you like it or not."

.

.

_8 October, 2010, 9:30pm: Grand Prince Hotel, Takanawa_

_._

Light glared at the neat round hole in Ryuga Hideki's temple as though it were Loki himself. It wasn't even the new method of homicide that irked him, as the victims in the Ragnarok case had shown wide variety in mode of death. The way in which they were killed seemed irrelevant; it was the post-mortem posing of the body into a cross, palms decorated with the runes for sun and moon in the victim's own blood, which was important to Loki. Ryuga's corpse was no different, laid out on the formerly pristine white sheets like a sacrifice to the gods.

No, it wasn't the _difference_, per se. It was…

"Problem, Light-kun?"

That. The staring. The prodding little questions interrupting his focus, his attempt to tune out the room to see the crime in his head. The implication that he hadn't needed to risk coming, that he would find nothing that Matt and Mello could not.

The fact that L might be right on that one. Light had seen nothing out of the ordinary, the scene almost preternaturally clean. And this wound…

"Perhaps," L quipped, slurping obnoxiously on a cherry-flavored lollipop, "Light-kun is stumped due to the low rate of gun crime in Japan."

"Shut up, Ryuzaki."

The detective hummed around his treat, enjoying his vengeance for the hair gel-and-clothing related indignities forced upon him by Light as a condition for joining the team on site. "Has Light-kun even _seen_ a gunshot victim before?"

"Shut _up_, Ryuzaki."

All right, so Light _hadn't_ ever seen a gunshot victim in person before. There were less than 200 violent gun crimes committed in the whole of Japan each year, most of which were perpetrated by organized crime syndicates- not his area. Frankly the amount of blood soaking through the mattress was disturbing him. Not to mention the obvious skull fragments and brain tissue. _Ugh. You will not vomit at a crime scene again. You will not vomit at a crime scene again._

"Mello, Matt, if you please…"

Matt looked up from the preliminary evidence report Ide had handed him, grinning cheerfully. _The weirdo._ "Definitely a 9 millimeter slug. Probably a short barrel compact, less than 40 caliber, since the dude's head is relatively intact."

"That's intact?" Light asked. Matt gave him a pitying look.

"You really haven't seen a gunshot wound, huh? Trust me; the real high powered guns are much worse."

"True, love," Mello continued. "And there's not much for powder or soot around the wound- probably fired from around 5 centimeters or less. You know, I think this might be a woman."

"Statistically women avoid head shots," L stated, leaning so close to the body he was practically nose to nose.

"Statistically women use compact weapons with high concealed carry ability, smaller caliber, and make a point to make less noise," Mello returned.

"A 9 mil isn't really small caliber, Mel."

"It is if you're a pro." Mello sighed. "We would know what kind of gun this was from already if the Japanese didn't have such shit ballistics facilities."

Light frowned deeply. "What part of 'practically no gun crime' do you not understand, Mello? It's illegal for Japanese citizens to own handguns- any handguns. And we don't use 9 millimeter rounds, so this isn't a police issue gun."

"So, import. Either smuggled in, or the shooter is an import herself," Matt mused. He paused to glance at his phone. "Text from Near. Says he found a match on the rifling. We're looking at a Glock, probably a model 17, 19, 22, or 23. No way to tell, since the barrels are rifled by mass production."

"Law enforcement," said L, shifting away from his examination of the body. He waved at the police units, indicating they could remove Hideki's corpse. "While private citizens own Glock handguns, they are most common among members of law enforcement units. Unfortunately, they are popular in 36 countries for that use. I myself use a Glock 22."

"Law enforcement…"

"You have a theory, Light-kun?"

"A background in law enforcement would explain how the scenes are wiped of all forensic identifiers. The ways in which the victims have been killed until now have been through brute strength, though the specific method has varied somewhat. But this kill is a shooting of almost surgical precision. I think we might be looking at two of our three 'children' of Loki as the ones carrying out the deeds." Light stopped short. "And now you're saying the gun is a small weapon likely to be used by a woman. I believe that we have been familiar with the work of 'Fenrir', and are now seeing the work of 'Hel'. I also suspect she might be the one with law enforcement training. This scene is much more meticulously staged than the others."

"Looks like you may be onto something, Light-o," Matt interrupted. "Near says that he and Matsuda have finished looking over the security footage. Ryuga met a woman here in the bar, and they immediately went up to the suite. The few witnesses that remember her describe her as a Japanese woman, though the manager stated she was Japanese-American, with a white suit and briefcase- that's it. The tapes show almost nothing of her- she was positioned perfectly in each camera's range to show as little of her as possible without looking staged. We don't even have a profile of her face to go on. She's _good_. Near actually sounded impressed."

"Please inform Near that he should not be admiring a murderer's acumen," L snapped.

"He also says the manager's right. Ryuga's agent confirms he had a meeting here with an executive from an American movie studio about a role, and that he checked it out before okaying it. Whoever she is, she has some connections to exploit in America."

L cursed sulfurously under his breath. "Americans," he sighed, "My contacts with the American government and law enforcement are not as significant as my European connections." Then a sly look passed over his face. His lips twisted in a wry grin, and he glanced sideways at Light. "But perhaps someone else here does have excellent connections with the Americans. Or at least, one American."

"You can't be serious," Light said, flushing to the roots of his hair. "I haven't spoken to Steven in person since he left Japan. I've exchanged exactly three emails with him. What makes you think that this is a connection I can exploit for this case?"

Matt nudged Light with a playful elbow to the ribs. "Gevanni is a pretty hot shit field agent for the FBI. Maybe he can get some information on former agents who left under weird circumstances, or even current ones who might be in Japan. If it comes under the auspices of L _and_ as a favor to a former lover? Might be more of a motivation."

"Precisely my intention," L replied. "It is likely from the use of a common law enforcement weapon and not a military one that our Hel was trained by one of those agencies and not the armed forces. This is reinforced by the knowledge of forensics and crime scene staging. Further, her skillful avoidance of security suggests a clandestine position. Hence, the only rational choices would be the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency. The latter is less likely than the former, as the CIA performs mostly surveillance while the FBI functions as national law enforcement."

"And we don't want to alert any higher ups, since we don't know what sort of connections Hel had to exploit," Light continued in a weary tone. "Yes, I understand. You have just put me in a rather…awkward position, that's all. Between Mikami and Steven, I feel like I've been more useful for my romantic connections than my intelligence or deductive skills."

"Don't let your father hear that, Bocchan."

Light started as a heavy hand was laid on his shoulder from behind. He turned to find Aizawa and Mogi had finished escorting the body to the coroner, and had returned just in time to hear the end of the conversation. "You know how he feels about the attention you seem to get from men these days. He'd be furious if he found out you were seeing that FBI agent last year."

"You knew about-"

"Matsu," Aizawa interrupted. "Matsu figured it out, and you know he can't keep a secret. We don't much care, Yagami-kun. You never let it get in the way of the job. But the NPA is pretty conservative, and you're already 'the nail that sticks up'. There's quite a few in the department who wouldn't mind seeing you get hammered down, so watch your rear."

Light exchanged a wry glance with L. "Your insinuations about my career trajectory seem more apt every day." He gave a stiff, formal head bow to his colleague. "Thank you, Aizawa-san. I appreciate both the discretion and the candor."

Aizawa gave a careless shrug, huge hair bobbing slightly with the movement of his shoulders. "So what is the word from L? We're due to be recalled tomorrow, except for you since you're under protective custody. Even your father was removed from the case."

"L will continue the investigation on his own, of course, with the assistance of his own agents," L interjected, scratching one hand behind his head in what would seem a nervous gesture to anyone not paying close attention. Light wasn't buying it. "He has, however, instructed me to extend a proposition to any of you still interested in remaining on the case anyway. Could you let the others know that if they are willing to defy the NPA in this matter, they should meet Watari in the top level of the parking structure of the British Embassy at 8 tomorrow evening? He will wait only ten minutes before departing." A small smile crossed his lips then. "L also wants to convey his thanks to each member of the team even if none of them decide to continue on in this matter. He understands perfectly the situation in which you find yourselves."

Aizawa nodded curtly, clapping a hand on Mogi's shoulder as they left the suite.

"And now, a return to our headquarters Light-kun. I have a pair of wolves to set to task, and you have an email to write to an…old friend."

Light pinched the bridge of his nose for the second time that day. A migraine was threatening, he was sure. _Gods save me from manipulative dark haired men._


End file.
